I participated in a fantastic exercise this past weekend at USM that I’m excited to share with you. It involves answering two questions.
1. What is an issue you feel resistance to accepting?
2. What would it look like if you were more accepting of this issue?
I’ll share two personal examples with you so that you can see how this exercise works.
I’m feeling resistance to accepting the loss of my dog, Oliver.
If I were more accepting, I would no longer connect the loss of him to the loss of my mom (which occurred a month after she passed). I would no longer live in fear of who I could lose next. I would see that it’s ok to deeply miss him. I would be grateful for the love we shared for 12 amazing years and how he snuggled with me every night. I would bask in the love and abundance in my life. I would rest in the knowing that all souls eventually reunite. I would fully accept all of these thoughts and feelings as a part of my human experience and be gentle and patient with myself during this time.
I’m feeling resistance to accepting the immense traffic and construction on the highway next to my neighborhood.
If I were more accepting, I would understand that this situation is temporary. I would acknowledge that once the construction is complete, the traffic will naturally dissipate. I would feel joy that the new toll road will be safer and more convenient for commuters. I would be grateful that I work from home and rarely drive during rush hour. I would keep in mind the statistic that toll roads increase property value and that the value of my home may increase. I would view this temporary inconvenience as a long term gain and give thanks!
Hopefully my examples of both a “sad” and “frustrating” issue help give you an understanding of the range this process has and how it works.
Now, try this on your own and see if it brings clarity or acceptance to a challenge you’re facing.