How are you doing with your mindfulness activities this month? There are seven attitudes of mindfulness: non judging, patience, beginner’s mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, and letting go. I am going to focus on what would call the hardest of the seven and that is acceptance and letting go. The serenity prayer is what comes to mind. We all know it but when it’s time to walk in its practice do we uphold it and ourselves?
Practical Means of Acceptance
When you accept something, it doesn’t mean that it must come from a place of agreement. Agreement and acceptance are two different things. Life always shows us that we do not need both to work together. When was the last time you accepted the things in your past. This means to acknowledge, know it exists, and remind yourself of what was is no longer apart of your journey.
Before you can let it go acceptance plays a huge part in that. For instance, there are things that come up that trigger emotions or memories. Often getting stuck in those triggers is what is the issue. The things that we had no power or felt powerless in resolving are the memories that hurt the most. To be mindful of our space in this world we must learn to accept.
I try a practice that I hope helps you when a memory of what once was comes to me, I ask myself if the thought or feeling will aid in my future? For instance, if I were thinking of what could have been with a lost love energy I ask if that love being in my life with what I know would help my future? Often if we are honest, we know the answer is no. The person of whom we walked away demonstrated the lack of care that we needed then and now. So that helps me accept the closing of the door even if I don’t like it or want it to be different.
Power of Letting Go
I just like you have things that I must let go. Somethings reflect my past and others are learning to reconcile the past with my present. As you accept the things that you can’t change leaving them where they stand is not always as easy as it seems. I struggle with this, and I am sure there are a few others that do the same. Not letting go of things that do not serve us creates a pathway to lessons that become never ending roller coasters. Being on the hamster wheel of life is draining. When we continue to practice of not letting things go it creates more hurt and resentment.
There is power of letting go that unlocks when we add acceptance and letting go. You can see life for what it is. There is the ability to go forth and create a new life instead of living in what could be. As we continue to add all the wonderful tools of actively practicing mindfulness do not forget to use acceptance and letting go as a tool as well. You are deserving of a great life.
