The world is a palette of varied beauty with subtle and not-so-subtle
differences in brilliance and hue. But, like all we perceive
subjectively, many things can fail to meet our expectations. People
don't behave as we'd wish them to, situations turn out differently than
we'd imagined, and the end result is often unhappiness. The remedy is
acceptance - an open-minded, understanding perception that brings the
serenity of knowing every individual, situation, or difficulty is
unique and valuable in some way. It is a mode of respect for
differences, of seeing beyond faults or disappointments and reaching
contentment.
Though acceptance necessitates recognizing and acknowledging situations
or attitudes that exist in the present, it does not imply that you need
also give your approval. To approve or to disapprove is to judge, but
in accepting, you simply understand that all situations and all people
are in a constant state of flux. Likewise, each of us is also in the
process of changing and by choosing to accept ourselves (in the past,
present, and future); we can truly begin to understand who we really
are. Acceptance is freedom from the need to retain preconceived
notions, control of others, favored outcomes, or the anxiety that can
come when the unexpected occurs. It is more than tolerance, though
resisting the urge to react to the choices of others is a large part of
the process. Rather it is a patience and gentleness that extends
outward, beginning in one's own soul and extending to other people and
the world at large.
Sometimes the process works in reverse because accepting others can be
easier than accepting oneself, though the latter is the inevitable
result of true acceptance. In fostering acceptance, the need to judge
is quelled because the belief that others ought to live up to your
expectations (or 'should thinking') is eliminated because everything is
evolving and deserves to do so without interference. And in letting
growth happen and understanding that each person, place, thing, or
situation is as it is meant to be, a blissful quiet of the mind and
strong feelings of worth can be realized.