Acceptance: Trustworthy Practice for Happier Relations

The term acceptance has varied meanings for different people. Some may think accepting every wrong would lead the wrongdoers to make repeated mistakes while others may think that when you accept a person’s good and bad it makes them feel loved and they tend to make positive changes in their lives.

I prefer to be the latter while still considering the former to be a valid point! But does acceptance only circle around these two concepts? What role does “acceptance” play in saving, or rather say, sustaining relationships? We will talk about that and a lot more things in this article. Just keep reading…

Accept what you cannot control…

All of us get into certain situations in life where it goes out of our control. Sometimes it’s the relationship issues we are dealing with and sometimes it may be something about our professional lives. And stress occurs the moment we understand that there is nothing we can do to turn the situation in our favor.

For instance, if you have been investing in shares over a period of time and suddenly there is a huge market crash and you lose a hefty amount, can you reverse what happened? Or if you have been in a good relationship with your spouse over the years and one fine day you find out you have been cheated, is there anything you can do to change it?

No, right? Then what’s the point of being stressed about the things that you have no control over? The more you get stressed, the more you suffer! No one else will suffer physically or emotionally on your behalf! However, does that mean you let go of every bad thing that happens in your life thinking you cannot change the situation? NO! We will emphasize more on this in the following sections!

Let go of what’s hurting by accepting what happened…

There are certain things in our lives that no matter what, we cannot change! You may love someone very deeply, but you may not get back the love and affection you desire from that one person. And in the midst of these, you may lose out on other people around you who might be loving you a lot more than you can ever imagine. Just like that, when bad things occur and you have no control over them, the best thing to do is accept what happens and move on!

Yes, it may still sound easier than actually following it. But once you master the art of acceptance, trust me, life would be much easier and happier! The bad things, we cannot change today might actually be good experiences years later that will only make us smile. Also, accepting the bad and moving on with it will help you focus on your own mental growth and lead a stress-free life organically! So, it is better to let go of what hurts you and embrace the good that comes!

Accepting the worst does not mean agreeing to them…

The word “acceptance” weighs heavier than people actually understand! When someone asks you to accept a situation or the kind of person they are, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to agree on what’s happening! For example, you might have had a complicated relationship with your parents since your childhood. But you have always desired it to be healthy and lovable.

As time has passed, it might have become worse. Things might be complicated between you and your parents and you have to accept the fact that you can do nothing about it; things will not be the way you have desired them to be. But one thing that you can do is to accept your relationship the way it is and still prefer to live it the way you want! You can distance yourself from people who hurt you (and whom you love) and still be at your peace when you accept the relationship the way it is!

But you must address the wrong! Accepting doesn’t mean you accept the wrong as well. You should not and must not accept anything that you do not like or that disturbs your mental peace. However, if you go on to say that you are not going to accept anything bad or ugly that occurs in your life then needless to say that you are only going to harm your peace because our life is all about the good and the bad.

Practice acceptance towards people, experiences, and emotions…

Acceptance does not only mean you accept the bad things in your lives and move on! It means you accept your own negative emotions, your near ones who caused your hurt, and experiences that made you feel miserable. There can be certain weak moments in life that you do not want to experience again. Moving on might be difficult but when you finally accept that the things that have gone by would not change, then accepting it is the best way to get mental peace and live your life happily.

Some people in your life might not turn out to be the way you want them; the love and affection you give out to them might not be returned! But if you keep sulking thinking about why you are not getting back the love you are giving or why your love is not valued, that would be very irrelevant! Accepting the fact that not getting back the love you are giving is just normal, you will feel more at peace! Acceptance of people, experiences, and emotions is the best way to gain control over your mind and lead a stress-free life, and also save a lot of relationships!

The final thoughts

Acceptance does not come easy! It takes mindful and regular practice to implement it in our lives. You cannot expect yourself (or anyone for that matter) to be understanding towards a disastrous situation in life and maintain peace and calm. Humans are made to lose their minds and feel empathetic in hurtful situations and that’s pretty normal. And thus, practicing acceptance might seem to be tough. But by regularly practicing ‘acceptance’ of the worst and moving on with optimistic thoughts, you will surely master the art of leading a stress-free life and saving a lot of complexities in your relationships! Be happy because that’s the goal of all our lives!