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The Power of Acceptance: Embracing Change

Embracing Acceptance and Courage

Back now from the beautiful 3- and 7-day online intensives, I am struck by how much people face and how courageous they are. It was such an honor to be part of their journeys.

From my perspective, meditation is the practice of looking at what is and learning to accept it.

Jake Chapman, who spoke yesterday at the monthly self-enquiry talk, has this to say about acceptance:

Acceptance vs. Full Acceptance

From Jake Chapman’s Manual “Living From Truth”

Acceptance is a willingness for something to exist just as it is. Wanting something to be different from how it is indicates non-acceptance. This includes wanting something to change. In relation to aspects of myself, acceptance is characterized by tolerance and ceasing to deny or conceal that aspect of myself. Note that acceptance does not mean I have to like what I find about myself, but I do have to acknowledge it exists and that it affects how I act or think.

Fully accepting something about myself involves a deeper appreciation of whatever it is. Rather than just tolerating it, I am willing to take responsibility for it. Rather than just ceasing to deny its existence, I fully own that it is an aspect of myself. And rather than just being willing for it to exist, I understand how or why it exists in me.

One of the key paradoxes on which Carl Rogers built his therapeutic system and reputation was the recognition that until something is fully accepted, nothing can change. But as soon as it is fully accepted, spontaneous change is very likely to occur.

As both a master and a participant, I have witnessed and experienced the truth of this.

Join us for Thursday Night Dyads and experience this transformative process for yourself.

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