Recently a friend of mine gave me a lovely pendant with the above quote on it,
“God, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things that I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference”.
I am a big believer in things happening for a reason, and I think I was given this pendant at a time when those words would have a great impact on me.
I have begun to realize that learning acceptance can greatly reduce pressure and expectations.
For example, I now accept that my husband is NEVER going to learn to shut the wardrobe doors. After four years of pleading (nagging), I have decided it’s much easier to just shut them myself and not get annoyed about it. My mornings are much happier.
I have accepted I am never going to have an Elle McPherson figure. Not for lack of trying, might I add!. My lovely Boot Camp Ladies gave me some bust enhancing cream last Christmas. Despite applying it religiously, sadly, there hasn’t been a change. Thanks anyway girls.
I have accepted that I will never play tennis like Serena Williams. If I’m being totally honest with myself, I am lucky to get the ball over the net! (I know my older sister, who was my tennis partner in High School, will agree with this). I am enjoying the game so much more now I have accepted my ability…or lack thereof.
Now for a tough one; I am beginning to accept that my three gorgeous girls are now independent women who don’t need a Mum to make decisions for them anymore. (Not sure when that happened but I didn’t see it coming!!). I am so proud of the lives they have carved out for themselves, and I love being part of that life but it is in a different role to what it used to be. While my children have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into their “grown up” lives, I am still working on accepting this transition.
I accept that I will be living in Hong Kong for at least three more years. This is another one I need to work on. If I keep yearning to move back to Australia, then I will make the time abroad miserable for both my husband and myself. I am now including in my daily affirmations “I accept that I will be living in Hong Kong for the next 3 years and will enjoy every minute of it”. Hopefully soon I will begin to believe that!! (I love living in Hong Kong, but I love being near my children more!).
Don’t get me wrong, learning acceptance doesn’t mean sitting back and being complacent either. While I accept that I will never run a marathon as fast as Robert De Costella, (An Australian marathon legend who was my hero while I was growing up), I will continue to train and enter races striving to run my best.
Deepak Chopra says, “nothing breaks down walls as surely as acceptance”. By learning to accept the realities of our life and the people in it with open arms, we can avoid chaos and frustration. Understanding leads to acceptance. Acceptance leads to peace of mind.
Give it a try. Take a deep breath, as you breathe out let go of something you cannot change, and see if you feel the weight lift of your shoulders.