Many of us operate from an attitude of “I have to make life happen. If I don’t, it won’t be the way I want it to be.”
According to Zen teachings, we’re better off just accepting everything as it is. That sounds like a do nothing approach to life, but that’s only because we confuse giving up with acceptance. However, they are very different. Giving up is an ego experience of defeat and resignation.
Acceptance is more about being in the moment and seeing what is happening and then acting out of choice. According to Cheri Huber, author of That Which You Are Seeking, Is Causing You To Seek, suggests that we can plan, decide, and choose how we want things to turn out, but then we must let go and accept that if it turns out the way we wanted, great, and if it doesn’t, great. That’s acceptance!
An elementary school friend of mine died of cancer recently. She battled for 15 years, with four different incidences during that period. At her funeral, we heard about her acceptance over those 15 years and how she lived those years JOYFULLY, even the last few months when it was apparent that another miracle was not at hand. The lesson for us: the outcome does not matter, what matters is how you are spending this minute.
Are you spending your moments in acceptance?
