And how about accepting gifts? Are you good about that? I often wonder. I'm very good at accepting gifts. Please send all gifts my way! LOL! However, I've had some people not accept gifts. Not that they threw them back at me or anything like that. Again, if the person didn't want to give you something, they wouldn't. If they thought you somehow didn't deserve it or your caring for them didn't warrant it, they wouldn't have thought of giving you something in the first place. Again, accept the gift.
And how about compliments? Oh boy! My friend used to be terrible about accepting compliments but she's getting better now. I remember when I was in college and in my sorority we had a little lesson to learn about accepting compliments. We had to pick another person and give them five compliments, looking them in the eyes. And the other person had to accept the compliment, also looking you in the eyes. That was the moment I learned to accept compliments. I've been accepting them very nicely ever since them. I really think it's important to learn how to accept compliments. When your response to "wow, your hair looks so pretty" is something like "really? I need to get a cut" or "it's so dry" or "it's so puffy". Well, how do you think that makes the compliment giver feel? Not so great, right? Accept the compliment and enjoy it!
Here's a big one. How about accepting help? I don't know if men are the same but I know so many women that really have a hard time accepting help, no matter what it is and only tend to do so under extreme measures. I like help. You can help me out? Great. Although I must admit that there have been times that I didn't even realize that someone was trying to help me until way past the "helping" point. That's not good. Again, people don't offer help because they DON'T want to help you. I'm pretty sure they want to help you and that's why they're offering their help. Accept the help.
How about accepting our bodies as they are? Who's up for that challenge? It's not to say that you don't see things you would like to change or wish this or that were different on your body. No, I'm not saying that. But what about accepting where your body is, what you're capable of, what brought you to where you are now. And THEN look at changing it up. I've had to do this. I've accepted my body as it is now. I know it will improve over time and I can only make the changes in my nutrition, workouts, and lifestyle factors to get to my goal. But I have to start with accepting it as it is right now. Don't loathe it. That doesn't help. Accept and move on.
And what about where your life currently is? Can you accept it? Sure you may be chasing after a dream or know where you're heading but can you accept where you are today? Can you accept all of life's challenges and the way life has a way of derailing you or putting obstacles in your way you didn't plan on? I know this has also been a big challenge for me. I have finally (maybe literally in the last couple of years) accepted my life as a journey and seen that although it didn't go on the path I expected, my life has gone on numerous paths I didn't expect with numerous experiences I NEVER planned on. I accept my life.
So how are you with accepting? Do you think it's as important as I do? I'll be happy to accept any comments that you have about this post. :-)
“The art of acceptance is the art of making someone who has just done you a small favor wish that he might have done you a greater one.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
2 comments:
I think accepting our bodies for what they are is difficult for those of us who put so much time and effort in the gym and eating clean, but at the same time most of us are perfectionists :)
I think it's one of the hardest things to do anyway and I think when you compete and then afterward it's even harder. Lucky for me I'm actually not perfectionist! ;-)
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