The miracle of accepting what is

For the last week or so, I’ve been feeling pretty unmotivated and I’ve been extremely hard on myself about it. In general, I’m someone who thrives on being productive and moving forward with my passions. That’s what makes these periods of inactivity particularly difficult – I feel like I’m being lazy and I’m letting myself down.

Here's a picture of me as a little girl - a portrait of complete trust and acceptance of what is

Today, I spent some time on the phone with my friend Jeffrey Sumber. He’s a wonderfully calm and loving voice in the midst of a storm. After listening to me beat myself up for a few minutes, he finally said, “The one thing I’m not hearing is any acceptance of where you are.” Here’s the funny thing – milliseconds before he said that, my eyes landed on a poster on my wall that says “Acceptance”! As much as I wanted to fight against it, I had to admit that God was speaking to me. Knowing that I’d be a tough nut to crack in that state, God sent me the same message twice at the same time so I couldn’t possibly miss it.

As I’ve learned it, the principle of “acceptance” doesn’t mean condoning or approving of a thing, it just means acknowledging that it is the current condition without judgment.

So here is my go at self-acceptance for today:

• I accept and acknowledge that right now I am feeling unmotivated. I had many months of extreme productivity at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, and now my body and psyche need a little rest.
• I accept and acknowledge that it is okay to let myself rest physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
• I accept and acknowledge that a period of rest will not last forever – at some point soon, my engine will rev up again and be ready to make the next journey.
• I accept and acknowledge that I am not bad or lazy as a result of allowing myself to rest.
• I accept and acknowledge that where I am right this minute is where I need to be right this minute. A minute, an hour, and a day from now will take care of themselves.

Do you have something you’ve been beating yourself up about that you’d like to bathe in the light of self-acceptance? Head down to the comments and share!

Thanks Jeffrey. I really appreciate that your voice was able to cut through the crap when nothing else would.  🙂