Last update: May 03, 2020
Every experience we live affects the way we act, feel and think. In some way it transforms us, be it little by little or by leaps and bounds; it all depends on the importance we attach to it. The problem is that when circumstances hit us so hard that they stagger us and turn our world upside down, we often don't know how to behave, because we can only think about how we would like things to go differently. If we don't learn to accept reality, expectations can hurt us a lot.
Sometimes we are obsessed with making everything work out perfectly, exactly how we want it. We cling to the scenario of an ideal future where all the pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly, hoping that reality will develop according to our plans. When this comes with all its imperfections, we realize that many pieces do not fit together, do not exist or belong to someone else. This is why we feel frustrated, lost and out of place. Because we don't learn to accept reality.
Who assures us that everything will be as we imagined it? Nobody. It is just a guess of our mind, a story that we have told ourselves to be calm and thus free ourselves from an uncomfortable feeling of insecurity. The truth is that perfection is not always the best path. Relying on the comfort that our plans will go well can be one of the biggest obstacles in our path. What to do then?
Accept the reality. Here's what to do. Being surprised and welcoming what life gives us can be a wonderful option if lived with responsibility and commitment. But what exactly is it about? We explain it to you in the next paragraphs. Are you ready?
"The wise man does nothing, let things take their course"
-Carl Jung-
Accepting reality means receiving with love what life gives
Swimming against the current can be extremely risky if we are not prepared. Like being in an endless blizzard. On the one hand, we try too hard, finding ourselves without energy; on the other hand, we keep the hope that circumstances will change. If we learned the art of accepting reality, everything would be simpler.
Accepting means letting the knot untangle. It means adapting, rather than struggling, e take advantage of the current to get carried away where we want. It means letting ourselves be surprised by what happens in every moment, rather than planning everything.
Accepting reality is an art, a wonderful challenge that will make us freer.
It is about receiving with love and acceptance what life gives us, learning from every experience and, above all, to understand that it is impossible to keep everything under control. If we let ourselves be surprised, we will be able to enjoy every moment. Furthermore, we will free ourselves from the frustration generated by the conflict between what we have imagined and what is really happening.
Trying to control the succession of events, as well as time, we will waste energy, as it is inevitable that most of the variables escape our control. If we practice the art of patience and wait to see what happens, it will be much easier let the anguish and worry disappear, as we stop focusing on the future to look to the present.
How to accept reality?
Accepting reality is the art of being carried away, accept the surprises and release the fears that prevent us from growing. It means living the present to the full. There are many ways to practice this wonderful art. Here are some of the strongest:
- To adapt. It is the first step to change our philosophy of life. Adapt to what is happening around us, instead of fighting against it, it is the basis of this principle. We often strive to make circumstances as we had hoped and people to behave just as we had imagined, but it is only a deception of our mind. It may or may not happen. For this we must not wait, we must adapt to what happens and then behave accordingly.
- Connect with the present. Living the here and now, in connection with every moment, allows us to accept reality because it frees us from the weight of the past and from the expectations of the future.
- Draw lessons. Making every single experience fruitful, even if not pleasant, will allow us to make the most of what happens to us. We can learn from everyone and everything, let's not forget it.
- Opening up to the unexpected. Each moment is unique. Instead of rejecting what we don't know, why not take advantage of it? By acting with responsibility and commitment, it is possible.
- Meditate. Meditation is a powerful exercise to tune into yourself, to explore our inner self and awaken it. Thanks to it, we will develop our sensitivity much better and, consequently, our ability to connect with the present.
By learning to accept reality, it will be easier not to find yourself against the tide. There are things we cannot fight for, so it is useless to waste time, energy and effort trying to force what cannot be forced. With patience and letting the path show itself for what it is, we will be able to live with greater fullness.
Accepting reality: advantages
Not going against the tide is a great option to live fully. In addition, this practice offers us important benefits, such as the following:
- Armonia. Accepting opens the door to tranquility and calm, to the possibility of savoring the harmony of everything that surrounds us, to being open to what happens with the awareness that not everything depends exclusively on us.
- Creativeness. By not swimming against the current, we will live the moments in an authentic way. We will therefore have more freedom when developing new ideas to choose new paths and make better decisions.
- Relaxation. Being surprised by what happens helps us free ourselves from guilt and expectations. In other words, from all those tensions that oblige us to remain in a continuous state of alert.
- Detachment. When we accept the state of things, we detach ourselves from people, situations or objects. Let's leave aside the habit of struggling to be happy. We get rid of what harms us and begin to appreciate the true value of what surrounds us.
- Happiness. Acceptance brings us closer to that feeling that we so desire and that is found within us: happiness. Staying calm, untroubled and connected to the present will be much easier.
Accepting reality means freeing ourselves, allowing things to happen, learning from them as they present themselves, learning from every experience and every moment. Everything in life has its moment.
Accepting is an art and we are the painters of a great work called life. We decide how to live it. We learn to accept every moment with open arms, and we will succeed.
“It is not a question of having all the certainties, but of learning to live with uncertainties. Wanting to control everything makes you sick. Letting go heals. "
-Anonymous-
