Recently I came across the following quotation by Reinhold Niebuhr:

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

It got me thinking about the word acceptance and the great power and value it gives us if we use it in the right way. It helps us to remain calm in a busy world and in the face of adversity.

Acceptance is defined in the dictionary as “The action of consenting to receive or undertake something offered.” It is also defined as “The process or fact of being received as adequate, valid or suitable and agreement with or belief in an idea or explanation.” For me that only tells part of the story as I believe there are many other meanings and benefits to the word.

Here are a few thoughts on the value of acceptance and how it can help us to be first class personally and professionally.

When we are accepting of something it helps us to manage our anxiety and stress levels. It means that we accept things as they are rather than as we would like them to be. This contributes to a calmer mind. It allows us to think of possibility and opportunity rather than looking to rewrite history. Having a greater level of acceptance lets us live in the present moment and not be hindered by the past. We start to look for solutions to challenges rather than spending time wishing things were different.

Being more accepting of others allows us to be in a state of non- judgement and bear no malice towards them. As a result, we have greater tolerance of other people’s views and opinions. We accept people as they are rather than how we would like them to be. We start to look at their strengths and qualities rather than their flaws and weaknesses.

We can apply this principle to ourselves too and become more accepting of who we are. We can develop pride in our qualities, our accomplishments and achievements. We can expand our appreciation of the value we bring to the world and the contribution we make. We can accept and use our natural gifts and talents rather than spend time and energy focusing on our weaknesses and what we lack. This also allows us to stop wasting time and energy comparing ourselves to others and instead become more single minded and focused on our goals and desires.

As Reinhold Niebuhr’s says we can accept the way things are and what we cannot change. This allows us to let go of the things that we can’t control and change. We can then divert our focus onto changing and influencing the things that are within our sphere of control.

Finally, we can learn to accept gifts and compliments from others and be grateful for all that we have in life. We can develop an attitude of gratitude.

This week, why not take a few moments out to reflect and consider where you can develop greater acceptance of situations and people. What would be the benefits to you if you were to do so?

This week’s quotation:  

“Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness, those are life-altering lessons.” Jessica Lange.

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