All right, we're going to cover the five keys
to accepting what you can't change. As William
James put it, acceptance of what has happened
is the first step to overcoming the consequences
of any misfortune. Accepting what we don't like
may be one of the most difficult aspects of life,
and I'm all for taking action and changing what
we can, but inevitably there will be people,
situations, and events we don't like and that
we aren't able to change. Excuse me. Do you find
yourself trying to change things you have no
control over? It's a question a lot of people
tend to want to ask. I mean, if so, you probably
find it difficult to be satisfied and content
with life. And if we can't change a situation
or an outcome, our best option is to learn how
to accept it and then, well, deal with it. Acceptance
has many benefits. A more positive attitude,
less worry and stress, less energy drained from
trying to figure things out, ability to embrace
change, greater appreciation and gratitude, a
more compassionate perspective, and so on and
so forth. Acceptance is not the same as resignation
or passivity. We can continue to push forward
despite accepting that there are things beyond
our control. Here are a few tips I'm going to
give you to living with greater acceptance so
you can have a more joy and peaceful mindset.
Part 1. Let go of the past. I can't make it any
clearer, actually, to be honest. We all have
baggage that we carry from our past, and this
baggage gets heavier the longer we hold on to
it. Many people have a hard time letting go of
the past. We carry a mental reminder of our mistakes
and losses with us everywhere we go, not realizing
how much they steal from our present joy and
contentment. We can't change the past. However...
What happened in your past happened? So our only
hope is to learn how to accept our past and basically
move forward. As one of my favorite artists,
C .S. Lewis, once put it, getting over a painful
experience is much like crossing monkey bars.
You have to let go at some point in order to
move forward. Otherwise, you're just holding
on to the same bar that you were in the beginning.
Two, learn coping skills. At one point or another,
life will present us with an unexpected turn
of events. It may be difficult. Let me rephrase
that. It may be a difficult loss or a failure
of upper proportions that we aren't prepared
to deal with yet. Sometimes these events are
beyond our current ability to cope. So part of
the acceptance process is learning new ways to
cope with a crisis, whatever it may be, and keep
your emotions in check, you know, so you can
make. A more conscious decision about how to
deal with the difficult situations that you're
faced with. Which brings me to part three. Make
it meaningful. Okay? Sometimes the worst things
happen to us at the end. End up being the most
fundamental part of our personal growth. It is
easier to accept something when we explore the
opportunities and possibilities that come out
of it. So it brings this question, what can you
learn from your difficulty? How has the difficulty
made you a stronger person? As Viktor Frankl
once said, when we can no longer change the situation,
we are challenged to change ourselves. This in
turn helps you to grow as a person in mind, spirit,
and body. Fourth, expect less. We live in a world
that tells us to want more, be more, and do more.
This isn't always a negative message, but it
often gets in the way of our life satisfaction.
When something doesn't meet our expectations,
we are disappointed and angry. Life can appear
purposeless, unfair, and ruthless if our expectations
are unrealistic. So instead of expecting something
to happen or expecting a person to act a certain
way, try to focus on accepting and creating.
Focus on what you want to create instead of what
you expect to happen. Creation is motivating
and expectation is demanding. You have to know
the difference between the two. And finally,
the fifth key. Set new goals. When we run into
failure or setbacks, it can feel like we are
stuck with nowhere to turn. Life will take unexpected
turns and when this happens, our trajectory might
have to change as well. This is a point where
it is in our best interest to move on and let
go of what we want. If something doesn't work
the way we planned, Don't get caught up in the
outcome, okay? Instead of doing the same thing
and expecting different results, accept things
aren't working that way you planned and do something
different. You may not be able to change what
you're going through right now, but this doesn't
mean you can't live a full and meaningful life.
You can adapt and adjust to your present circumstances.
Stop avoiding the difficult issues and only focusing
on what you can't change. Focus on what you can
do about the situation. And if you can't change
something, it's time to accept the reality. What
do you need to accept so you can be happier and
more fulfilled? And that's the question I'm going
to leave you with today. You have to consider
what you can do to make it so that you're not
only a happier person, but you're stress -free,
anger -free, resentment -free. Basically, removing
all these negative emotions that... have plagued
mankind since the beginning. The very emotions
that causes us to sin and do the stuff that is
not right, stuff that gets you arrested, killed,
hurt, leaves you in emotional distress. These
are the things that we must consider. So I leave
this thought with you, you know, and I pray that
you come to terms with your past or whatever
has happened to you previously. And that you're
able to move forward with your life and aim higher.
Like I said before in the Relationship Series
and Respect, know what you're worth and don't
settle for anything less. But don't set your
expectations so high that they're unattainable.
And with that, this is Food for Thought, Thoughts
If It Were You Morals Series by Neogentrix. We'll
pick this up with the remaining seven morals
tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your day.