Accepting the world around you and yourself

Growing Whole Molly Young Brown (1993),

            I choose to accept the world just as it is.  I choose life on this planet, in this world, at this time.  I choose to accept the pain I feel when I witness violence, and the joy I feel when I witness love.  I let go of the demand that the world live up to my expectations and values while I dedicate myself to sharing love and light with all (Growing Whole p 172)

When reading this quote from Growing Whole what comes up for you?
For so many of us that pay attention to the happenings around the world or even in or own lives a sense of feeling out of control is normal.  This choice to accept the unpredictability of the world around you may help you to have a sense of taking back some of the control that is lost when unpredictable things happen.

An important part of this quote is the letting go of expectations of others.  To remember that the only thing that you can control is your own behavior.  To find a way to first accept yourself and let that acceptance eventually translate into how you see the world.

This is challenging.  Make no mistake.  This intention can be the beginning of a journey of a whole new mind set.  To go out into the world with the intention of acceptance and at the same time allowing yourself to notice when you can not accept something.  An important aspect to this will have to be honesty.  To be in touch with how you feel. 
To push down feelings about situations or relationships is the opposite that this is about.  Be present with your feelings. This is a great first step to acceptance of yourself and the world around you.

As you read this, please note your reactions to this.  If this is a difficult subject for you, take time to sit down and write about your reactions. If you have an immediate adverse reaction take note of that. Your reactions are important and gives more information for your own healing process.