Erin Mac
LLC

So, I've been listening to this audio book called, "Radical Acceptance" and I heard this thing that really made a lot of sense to me about how to create change in your life. 

Here's what the author said:
"Radical Acceptance is not resignation.  The greatest misunderstanding about radical acceptance is that if we simply accept ourselves as we are, we will lose our motivation to change and grow.  Acceptance can be misconstrued as an excuse for persisting in bad habits.  Accepting ourselves as we are suggests that we have resigned ourselves to be exactly as we are.  The curious paradox is that when you accept yourself just as you are, then you can change."

Now, I know this sounds counterintuitive because we have been taught to believe that if we accept what is then we are in essence stopping ourselves from growth and change, we are stuck.  However, in this case the acceptance is not saying that where you are in your life, especially if it doesn't feel good, is where you are resigned to be.  Acceptance in this case is more like an acknowledgment of what is.  It is saying I am here and while it may not be where I wanted to be at this time in life, at least I know that much.

This makes perfect sense!  The first step to recognizing that you would like to experience things differently is acknowledging that how it is feeling right now is not good, and that you would like it to feel good.  I spent so many years not recognizing how miserable I was because I was so unconscious in my life.  I was so caught up in what other people told me would make me feel happy and not understanding who I was and what would bring me joy.  It seems so obvious now how unhappy I was, how my life lacked meaning and purpose.

Is there a part of you that is looking for something or feeling like something is missing? Do you wonder what this life is about?  Do you wish that you could predominantly experience joy vs. reacting to everyone and everything in your life as a challenge that you have to find a solution to, until the next one comes up, and then rinse and repeat?  Are emotional experiences like anxiety, stress, overwhelm and worry troubling you and you would like to learn solutions to overcoming them?

This life is meant to be enjoyed all day, everyday and it is possible to have that experience, regardless of what it seems like right now.  Let's connect and see about helping you find meaning and purpose in your life, now, so you can begin to understand who you are and truly live. What works for you?
Peace, 
Erin "accepting what is" Mac