And Acceptance Is the Answer to All My Problems Today
You can’t just rationalize yourself into acceptance.
You know, I run into this word acceptance a lot, and I’ve given it a lot of thought. I really want to grab it and understand it because it has such applicable meaning and value when it makes sense. But man, it’s not something that’s easy to appreciate unless you really understand it. People throw it out there as if it is something you can just do. But it’s like an experiential phenomenon or felt sense when you experience it. You can’t just rationalize yourself into acceptance. I think that’s because it taps into deeper parts of us that are not necessarily rational, but when we hit the bullseye, we know it. It takes a lot of processing of both thoughts and feelings in conjunction with our circumstances.
Steven Gans, MD, reflects that acceptance is not just a logical, but is emotional as well. Part of the problem is that lack of acceptance is, in part, is caused by feelings and thoughts not working together cohesively. However, if we can grasp it, acceptance is the foundation that we can build our lives on.
One of the most profound passages from the AA Big Book has universal application to all of us:
“And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I…
