How many of you struggle with this one?
It most certainly can be a trying thing to do…especially when life throws some curve balls at you. Acceptance of your current state is more than just accepting things for what they are… It’s about changing your mindset and realizing that you have the power within you to live the life you want. Not everyone reaches the final stage (at the same time)…some of us take a little longer than others. Some of us give up at the start or halfway through. To be successful, you need to start small. For instance, break it down one by one and then move on to the next one. Be content with:
WHERE YOU ARE
I don’t know your circumstances and I don’t know where it is that you find yourself at this present moment in time. It might be a physical place you are in or a state of mind. Regardless of this, being content should be your aim. As human beings, we generally don’t like change. Being in a comfort zone has its advantages and benefits. In fact, most people don’t like to rock the boat because of this very reason.
A few years ago, I decided that the country we were living in was not a place I wanted to raise my kids. Their safety mattered more to me than my own life. I started looking at my options and bravely (though easy) made the decision to step out of my comfort zone in search of a safer place for them to live. Funny thing about immigration though, you never really know what’s waiting for you on the other side. Everyone’s story can be different but you’ll be surprised by how many people share your storyline.
Long story short, I wasn’t content with where we ended up for a very long time after we left. In fact, I still have moments of wanting to simply flee from where we are. The reason for this is simple really. I found safety, which is great and a blessing in itself. However, this place does not check all of the boxes for me and there are some other important factors, which needed to be considered more carefully at the time of choosing our destination. However, it was only recently that I realized that I would not have come to this conclusion, had we not ended up here, to begin with. The experience thus far has made me wiser and now, I see things differently. In fact, it’s afforded me the opportunity to go back to the drawing board and identify what’s important to me…I have reached the stage of being content with my current situation because quite simply, it is not within my power to change it…right now. That time, however, will come.
WHO YOU ARE
For a long time, I struggled with accepting myself for who I am. I would say things like “Why am I like this?” Or “I wish I were different or like someone else“. Until recently, I even struggled with accepting that I have Hydrocephalus and whether or not I should tell people about it. It’s not a condition that defines me but I have to live with it each and every day…it’s a part of me. I share posts on Facebook about awareness of the condition and so forth, yet I shy away from sharing my story openly with others. In all honesty, I think this is more because I don’t want to be treated differently or seen to be useless because of it. I’ve come to change that way of thinking and embrace it. I see it as a blessing because who knows, maybe my story can help others. It’s not easy but realistically there’s not much I can do to change it so…I change my attitude towards it and Voila!
As for the other questions I’ve asked myself. I fully accept who I am because I’ve realized that I cannot make other people happy all of the time. I see the value in myself and for me, that is good enough. I’ve realized also that we all make mistakes, no matter how big or small but that is not what matters. What matters is the lesson we take out of it and what we do from that point onward. You can right some wrong’s, and that’s OK. The secret, however, is to learn from your mistakes and going forward, become more mindful so that you think twice before making the same mistake again. Love yourself first in everything you do…and always do what’s right.
WITH WHAT YOU HAVE
It’s easy to compare our physical possessions to others. We look at the cars our friends or colleagues drive, the houses they live in and the money we perceive them to have. We yearn for what they have and look past the importance of what really matters…right in front of us. Someone mentioned something really profound the other day. We were talking about how much “stuff” one accumulates. My colleague then said that his approach is simple “If it can’t fit in the coffin, it’s not worth anything“. How true is that! All you own on earth, physically, is not what’s important.
It’s the relationships you have with the people around you. The ones your heart beats for, the ones you would give your last breath for. Nurture that…
It’s appreciating running water, a plate of food to eat, a job to go to every day, which enables you to provide for your family. It’s the sun or the rain. The fact that you can enjoy simple pleasures of smiling or feeling happy even for just a moment…things that cost you nothing. The very fact that you opened your eyes to a new day, is a blessing. It’s the little things in life, which matter the most…don’t take them for granted for you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Live simply and take it slow. You too can be content…give it a go!
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