Acceptance
Posted on 10. Apr, 2010 by Deb in A Little More Focused, As the Web Turns, The Girl
In my seeking for higher voices (besides the amazing folks around me), I have discovered Tonya Williams of Just B Living. I signed up for her (free) Series called “14 Days to a Lighter You”. Today is day four, and in addition to her emailed message, there was a link to this blog post (a portion of which I’ve quoted)
Our bodies and our lives are forever changing. We are all energy that is continuously flowing. When we fight with our reality through non-acceptance, we are blocking the energetic flow of the universe.
This is why dieter’s get stuck in a negative cycle of gaining and losing. They continuously focus on what they don’t want – the weight. They are afraid that if they accept their wonderful bodies as they are now, it will never change. However, the opposite is true. If they will trust the divine intelligence of the universe and understand that very few things in life are permanent – including weight – then acceptance may come easier.
Permanence is rigid. It does not bend. It breaks easily. It is a block to creativity. This mindset stands between you and your ideal body. Think of things that we deem as permanent – death and, well, come to think of it, nothing in life is permanent, except maybe Sharpie’s.
When you believe in permanence, you lose. You believe things won’t change. And then you spend your time fighting with reality, and as Byron Katie says, “To argue with reality is to argue with God, and you only lose 100% of the time.”
But, acceptance….acceptance is love. It allows for transformation. It fuels positive energy. It flows. It puts you at peace with yourself, and peaceful people don’t stuff down their feelings with food, and if they do, they know that it isn’t permanent. The next moment is an opportunity to start over.
Self-acceptance causes you to be an ally with yourself, instead of your worst enemy. When our bodies and minds work together, amazing things happen. Acceptance means that you accept the now but you are also excited about what is to come, not afraid of what the future holds.
This is one of the best things I’ve read all week. I am certainly the queen at self-flagellation and in recent weeks I’ve realized that it has to stop. I am a long believer in the fact that we are capable of stretching our spirits and polishing up our souls if we are willing. But I wasn’t looking at all the wonderful things in my life and all the positive things I do, I was only looking at my failures. It’s a horrid cycle to get into, and when you are there in the middle of it, you just can’t seem to find a way out.
I know that there is a way out, though. And it isn’t going to be easy, but it’s doable. And it isn’t going to be possible if I continue to criticize myself for anything negative; I have to accept things as they are and also accept that I have the power to change.
Christine Kane had advised creating a weekly “minimum habit requirement”:
4. Create an MHR.
MHR stands for “Minimum Habit Requirement.”
Instead of trying to change everything at once, pick one small new habit and make that your Minimum Habit Requirement each day. A 30-minute work out, for example.
Your MHR is the starting point of your newfound proactivity. The goal is to simply experience the creative energy of choosing a habit and sticking with it.
via Christine Kane’s How to Turn a Set-Back into a Come-back (Part Two)
My goal for this week was to get back into the gym at least twice this week. Today was the third day this week that I’ve made it. My body is sore, but a really good sore that reminds me that my muscles love to be worked and that my body really is more energetic when I move it. The first day back, I was feeling really wonderful about being there until a group of stick-thin women headed into the Yoga area. Then I gave myself a little talking to: why would I beat myself up for having this curvy, wonderful body? It isn’t perfect, but it’s something that can be worked until it’s in the best shape that it can be. I don’t have the stick-thin body type and though I can lose a little around the middle, parts of me won’t decrease unless I have breast-reduction surgery. I LIKE my curves – they are wonderful. And being back in the gym will enhance that wonderfulness, make me feel more energetic, and continue to make me feel strong and healthy.
What about you? Are you stuck in the cycle of only seeing your flaws? Or are you striving to accept your reality as you make your life better?