It’s easier to be happy when everything is going your way, right? But life doesn’t always go our way, does it? Not to be pessimistic but there will be trying times, separation from loved ones, sickness and death, to name a few, that’s just the way life is. Those are the big ones, what about life’s everyday annoyances and challenges? Your boss or co-workers treat you poorly, your at odds with your spouse, you’re stuck in traffic or your property taxes went up again. How are we to be happy when things just aren’t going our way? The answer is always the same…

Acceptance, it’s only one word, just one simple word, but it’s perhaps the most important quality we can possess if we wish to be happy and peaceful in this life. So, what does it mean to accept and just how exactly do we do it? Most of us don’t have a problem accepting life the way it is when it’s going our way. But how do you fare during life’s trials and tribulations? When life isn’t happening the way you want it to happen, are you still at peace, are you still happy?

Although acceptance is the answer to our problems, if it were that easy to simply accept whatever life throws at us, we would all be walking Buddha’s and you certainly wouldn’t need this site So…we work at it. I know acceptance is the answer to my problems but that doesn’t mean that I am able to accept everything all of the time. My acceptance levels have improved dramatically over the years but there are still many times throughout a day when I am not accepting a situation. Again, full and complete acceptance would bring full and complete peace and I am not always one hundred percent peaceful. I don’t know anyone who is.

One of my favorite books is titled “The Way It Is” by Ajahn Sumedho. This book dramatically improved my ability to accept life the way it is. Life can be no other way than the way it is at this moment. We have a choice as to how we want to deal with life. We can either accept life as it is at this moment or we can fight it. Which way do you think will result in happiness?

Accepting life the way it is now doesn’t mean that you can’t change what needs to be changed. For example, let’s say that you’re in a relationship with someone who is abusive to you in some way. You can accept the way that person is and still leave them or insist that they change or else you will leave them. Acceptance is for this moment.

Let’s face it, we can’t change much in this life, only ourselves and most of us don’t have complete control over that either. It’s safe to say that we can’t change other people so you might as well accept them the way that they are. We can influence people, the environment and various other things in this world but, for the most part, they are out of our control. We may not be able to control what life throws at us, but we can control how we respond to it. Will you react or will you accept?

Tags: Acceptance, Peace