Freedom

I often find that every time I've given someone advice on something, the very next day I'm needing that exact advice myself. This happened the other day when I found myself thinking about the past, and when I came back around to the present, I remembered the advice I had given that person, which was radical acceptance. Radical acceptance by definition means the ability to accept situations without judging them. Accept that it is what it is and, if it happened in the past, there's probably nothing, or very little that can be done about it. Time to let it go and move on.

However, if it's something that's happening in the present, there may be something that can be done depending on how much control we have over the situation. Where radical acceptance comes in handy is when you have no control over the situation, but you do have control over how you respond to it. Acknowledging reality sometimes isn't fun but ultimately we end up with choices that we wouldn't have if we didn't know the truth. When we have all the information we're able to make better decisions on how we want our life to go, so instead of feeling helpless and fearful, we end up feeling empowered and free. Reinhold Niebuhr said this best in The Serenity Prayer, 

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference."

When we find ourselves accepting reality, knowing what we need to do and what's best for us suddenly becomes much more clear. Although we may feel as though we have very little control over what's happening to us, we actually have more control than we think. We can choose who, when, and where we want to spend our time. We can choose if we want to stay in a situation, or get out of it. We can choose what kind of information we absorb and then do our own research to see if it's accurate. We can choose to stay positive and look for ways to contribute to ours, and others, happiness and well being. We can stand up (in a peaceful way) for love, equality, and inclusion. We can look for ways to be part of the solution, instead of part of the problem. We can ask ourselves, "What can I do to make things better for myself and those around me?" 

Sometimes being put in a position where it looks like we have no way out, actually puts us in a position to think outside the box, get creative, and look for a third option... the thing no one else has thought of before... the one thing that might change everything. And we will only find that thing by first having the courage to open our arms to radical acceptance, watch as a new perspective forms, listen as possibilities come flooding in, and begin to feel the excitement of true Freedom...