THE THREE A’S

Have you ever been restless because of an unresolved situation in your life?

What happens when you try to fix the problem without accepting the reality of it first? When I’m faced with problematic situations that cause me anxiety or fear, my gut impulse is to fix it as soon as possible. I want to say I’m sorry, buy a new one, talk it to death, run away for a while, or just ignore it.

Problem solving requires a lot of wisdom, courage, clarity and confidence. Ironically, when we first learn of a problem or create a problem, we’re not quite ready to solve it.

Decision-making is a process. And problem solving is all about making decisions.

This is a process of becoming aware, accepting what is, and then finally taking action.

Below is a reading I designed that leads you through the process.

Read it to yourself or to a friend. Leave a comment below letting me know how this has helped you. Or share your secrets to finding acceptance.

In my attempt to control chaos around me I imagine the thing I’m going to loose. Squeezing tighter only increases my unrest. I fear loss. But what is it that I’m afraid of loosing?

So here is what I tell myself.

I know that I’m going to be all right no matter what.

I try to accept what is. It’s painful to sit in the acceptance because I fear that if I accept what is, I will condone an intolerable situation and I will remain stuck. But sometimes I need to realize that I actually have 2 good choices in front of me. Not 1 bad choice and 1 good choice. I need to give myself permission to accept what is simply for what it is. My acceptance does not mean that I tolerate the intolerable. It means I see it for what it is.

Awareness – Acceptance – Action; this is the process of life. Each step requires a different kind of energy.

There’s a different kind of energy for coming to acceptance than there is for taking action. Yet I find that in my fear, I jump from awareness to action. Acceptance is often times about waiting and being still. And action is what has made me feel safe in the past.

If I want to accept what is, I can find a patch of my own that I can control in the mean time.

Waiting is painful and uncomfortable that’s why I need something other than my “big decision” to focus on. I will find that patch of life I can work on.

I have choices.

The amount of energy I use to deal with the thing I’ve not yet accepted, robs me of the energy I need to take action in the future.

It is in the resting and stillness of acceptance that I store up the energy I need to take the right action. Not action motivated by fear, but action born out of peace. Lack of acceptance fatigues me.

Acceptance preserves and restores me. Today, I can accept what is.