What is acceptance?

Acceptance is a very relevant topic at the moment but one that, in my personal and client experience, we all find hard. So what do I mean by acceptance? Reinhold Niebuhr said it better than I can in the Serenity Prayer:

“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

There is so much that is having a major effect on our personal and business lives at the moment that is very much out of our control. For our sanity and wellbeing, it is important to accept the facts, however much they might upset us or make us feel really angry or despairing.

Acceptance does not mean accepting that what is going on for us is OK for it may very well be not at all OK. It means accepting that there is nothing we can do about the cause, be it the government, a family member or a customer! That frees us up to take action about the effect and how we will respond to whatever is going on. It is so easy to waste valuable time and energy on “the things I cannot change” so we have nothing left to deal with the consequences.

If prayers are not for you then there is a very simple CBT technique that may help (you may need to take a few deep calming breaths before you can deploy this rational, logical approach):

■ What is the issue?

■ Can I do anything about it?

❙ NO – go off and do something else!

❙ YES – Can I do it now?

❙ NO – go off and do something else!

(Perhaps make a note for future action)

❙ YES – Do it!

Therapies for the mind

07881620586 judith@judithhanson.co.uk judithhanson.co.uk