"The Power of Acceptance"

Have you ever been called judgmental? How about a gossip? Highly critical? A cynic? Or a pessimist? The odds were, if you were called that, you were probably displaying a non-accepting attitude. And, to be sure, the person who called you this was being judgmental. One of the key steps to discovering our purpose (or at the least a major block to living it) is learning to accept others. By acceptance, this does not mean that we condone nasty behavior. Nor does it mean remaining in a situation damaging to our self-esteem due to someone else's problems. Acceptance means recognizing and showing appreciation for our differences. If we hold up our hand we may glimpse an instantly recognizable characteristic demonstrating our uniqueness: our fingerprints. Each person has a unique thumb-print, no matter what race, gender, age or size. Respecting each person for their uniqueness is simply what we would like from them, so we must give it out first. The opposite of acceptance is judgment. Judgments leads to fear. Judgments lead to anger. Anger leads to conflict, which can lead to a battle or war. How many lawsuits would be avoided if people refrained from speaking ill of others? The word "libel" would no longer be relevant in our society. How many atrocities, from rape to genocide, have been committed because of differences in race, culture or religion? Yet, there are many races, cultures and religions. How many wars would be avoided if the people from both sides practiced acceptance rather than judgment? To live in the New World, we will need to accept these differences and send love, rather than judgment, to help build understanding of others. One method to track how often we judge is to keep an "anti-judgment journal." In the journal, note how often we pass judgment over the course of a week. Even if you do not verbalize the judgment, write it down. You might be surprised how often you judge others. I sure was surprised when I first did this exercise -- we can all stand to improve our acceptance of others and situations. In the anti-judgment journal, keep track of any negative or judgmental thought, including thoughts or statements about your current environment, your living situation, your job, your friends, your lovers or ex-lovers, and family. Include thoughts about politics or other events. There is an old saying that the first step to recovery is acknowledgment. Writing down these thoughts is your acknowledgment. Don't be discouraged, because this is the first step to learning to accept these things and remove the judgment. At the end of each day, write down the opposite thought (acceptance) for each of your judgments you wrote down, in a separate journal. By the end of the week, you may have identified 80% of the things you judge. Imagine what will happen in your life when you learn to accept those 80% instead of reject them. This will shine a light on the things you worry about, the people who bother you, and those who you need to forgive. Try it and then make sure to do the step of acceptance/opposite thought. You will then have a blueprint plan for improving your life. Simply adopt the acceptance journal comments as your new belief structure. When we are judging we have a hard time loving. Since love is a key to discovering and living our purpose, then judgment is a block. In accepting others, I do not mean accepting negative situations or being apathetic; on the contrary, accepting is simply freeing your mind of the negative thoughts that can distract you from living in authenticity. Some things were meant to be rejected from our lives, but in love, not judgment. In releasing others from judgment, it can be helpful to pray, forgive, or even ask for forgiveness from those who wronged us. Often, when we've been wronged, we also wronged someone else. How about releasing the judgment to God. It simply isn't our place to judge. Our ego may wrestle with the idea of asking another for forgiveness, by insisting we were right or justified to say or do what we did. Even if we failed to accept in the past, we can start to accept today. The path to acceptance may seem lined with thorns, but in reality it is the only healthy path to take. Sometimes, our biggest block to forgiveness is not anger, but guilt. So examine your own heart, too, and forgive yourself first, so that you can forgive others. Utilize acceptance to enable your path to success. Acceptance is the only path towards positive change. And, we cannot accept if we're too busy judging. Clear the judgment and you free the space to accept. The journey can begin today. If you have felt blocked regarding discovering your purpose, building a loving relationship, or finding a better job, or creating a life of abundance, then discovering the freedom in acceptance may certainly put you back on the path. You have all the power within you to judge or accept. The choice is yours. You are wonderful in who you are today. You are loved and accepted. Find the acceptance and you will find your joy.