Acceptance does not constitute condonement, nor is it consent. I don’t have to agree with something to accept it. I don’t have to like it.

All I have to do, in order to accept something, is to acknowledge that it is. That means not fighting it, not ignoring it, not trying not to think about it, and not taking it personally. Being in acceptance is not resignation. It’s just allowing for the fact that something is the way it is.

This is not to say that you or I can’t work for change. To the contrary, when I am in acceptance, it is that much easier to work for change, because I’m starting from a place of reality rather than illusion. I’m present, I’m here, I’m now. I am effective.

In order to operate from the heart and still be out in the world, acceptance is vital. I cannot operate from the heart if I’m not present. I cannot deal with being out in the world and authentic if I’m not in acceptance of what is.

‘Some people confuse acceptance with apathy (or resignation), but there’s all the difference in the world. Apathy fails to distinguish between what can and what cannot be helped; acceptance makes that distinction. Apathy paralyzes the will-to-action; acceptance frees it by relieving it of impossible burdens.’
— Arthur Gordon

What have you decided is unacceptable in your life? What outcome have you created an emotional attachment to, an attachment that keeps you from seeing all of the possibilities, an attachment that keeps you from taking action? Those decisions, those attachments, are keeping you from being effective, are keeping you from being empowered.

Take your power back. Accept what is outside of your control, so that you can make real decisions and move forward. Make the choice to relinquish emotional attachment to those outcomes that are not happening in your life.

This post is part of a series called Monday Message, based on that day’s reflection from 365 Days to Enlightenment (authorized versions are currently out of print, working on a new edition). Check back next Monday for another one! You can also sign up for the Daily Message on my mailing list if you’d like to receive a new reflection every day. I also often post them to Instagram, if that’s a medium you enjoy.