“Acceptance of self leads to acceptance of others… and challenging situations.”

As we deepen our mediation practice and be comfortable in our own skin, we also cultivate self-acceptance. And as we become willing to accept ourselves, in all circumstances, we begin to expand our ability to accept others.

This is not an easy thing do to, and it doesn’t happen over night. But as we sit with ourselves and begin to settle our minds, looking at all the elements that are floating beneath the surface of our emotions and thoughts, we begin to lean into things. We embrace all the wonderful joyful stuff of ourselves, and we begin to embrace all the challenging icky parts as well. With practice and patience we begin to rewire our neural networks and self-acceptance becomes the norm rather than the exception.

As we begin to move into this place of self-acceptance, and embrace our humanity, we begin to recognize that others have challenges as well. And, just like me, they have wonderful bits and icky bits. As we soften the judgement for ourselves we begin to soften judgement for others. This leads to expanded acceptance.

Not only does this relaxed, accepting state of mind apply personalities and people, it begins to apply to challenging situations as well. In this photo the little 2-wheel drive car my friends and I rented got stuck on a sand road in Namibia in Skeleton Coast National Park. We could have worried, and maybe we did a little. One friend thought digging out the tires would help, I thought shrugging it off would help, and our other friend captured the moment. We weren’t really worried. We figured it would all work out. But what we could never have anticipated was that 2 rotund National Park employees, dressed in pale green coveralls, would drive up in their truck. They hopped out, ran over to the front of our car, backs to the hood, lifted the whole front end out of the sand and rotated the car 90 degrees. Without a word they ran back to their truck and drove off. I love this story as an illustration for how acceptance of rather than resistance to challenging situations may lead to unexpected and positive results.

As  you move into your meditation, and then throughout the day, keep in mind the idea of acceptance… for self, others, and challenging situations.