Acceptance

Acceptance is one of those ideas that I see students resisting, largely because they confuse “acceptance” with “embracing” or “liking” or “condoning”. So when I say “Accept that growing your awareness of Truth is a process” or “Accept that your boss is unfair” or “Accept that you have a chronic illness” they think I am suggesting that they try to like or approve of these things. But what I mean by “acceptance” is “acknowledge a situation the way it is without resisting it or judging it”. Resisting or judging a situation is the way that you keep it in mind. It is the way that you hold onto it. Acceptance is the way that you let it go.

Resisting and judging close your mind. And a closed mind cannot hear the Holy Spirit (Teacher of Truth) in your mind. So acceptance is the way to open your mind to solutions to problems or to another way of looking at a situation. Judgment and resistance also add to the discomfort or pain of a situation. With acceptance you do not add to the discomfort or pain of an already uncomfortable or painful situation.


So “accepting that growing your awareness of Truth is a process” becomes the way in which you let the process unfold naturally. It keeps you open and willing. “Accepting that your boss is unfair” opens your mind to ways of working with her in the context of what you know about her. And “Accepting that you have a chronic illness” becomes the way in which you open your mind to ideas for taking care of the body.

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Learn about the books The ACIM Mentor Articles, The Plain Language A Course in Miracles, 4 Habits for Inner Peace, and Releasing Guilt for Inner Peace at www.acimmentor.com.

Comments

will said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
4:54 AM
will said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
5:27 AM
Aleta said…
My husband and I, both Course students, have had a lot of lessons in acceptance this past year. The ACCEPTANCE of the challenges we have faced has turned them into blessings. It has truly been a miracle. I am reminded of when Jesus said in the Bible "Resist not evil," (or something like that). I know now what he meant by that!

As I've said before, Liz, thanks for your inspiring guidance through your blog. It is clear to me that it is Holy Spirit-inspired, and it has helped to deepen our relationship through studying the Course.
1:01 PM
bat said…
that is excellent to hear Aleta, thanks for sharing that. It is always reassuring reading about other's positive experiences with the course.

And thanks Liz, for another great blog today.
11:07 PM
Christine said…
I will miss Will's comments! You were so very helpful at times, Will, so do what you must, but your input was appreciated. Remember you will never really find the answer "out there", but always keep turning Within until the "battle" is over.
6:04 AM
Anonymous said…
Did I miss something? Where did Will go? If you see this comment Will, I too will miss your comments. Your comments, challenging at times, helped me look within and furthered my awareness of my own ego. I do not want to become a blissninnie and something you said recently helped me look at that. I also have to be careful about my form of humor and it was on this site I became aware of that as well. Mucho gracias Senor. I however maintain peace in knowing minds are joined.

Great post Liz . . . I realize whenever I am struggling in my mind about something, I am not accepting. Great power in three words, Accept What Is!
7:06 AM
Aleta said…
If you are reading this, Will, please know that I too will miss your comments! I always looked forward to reading them after reading Liz's blog. You take care of yourself! Peace and love to everyone!
8:57 AM
Anonymous said…
Today,s topic is synchronic as life is, I guess. It is to me because this morning I had a little argument with my yoga teacher. She usually gives a speach before the class. She is always pointing out at society and it's duality and all the wrong ways we face life. Speaks about karma, reincarnation, all very new age mixed with her guru, her responsibility to teach others what she's learned from him...etc. I always say to myself " holy spirit let this experience be an opportunity for forgiveness. Because deep inside I perhaps resist her. Today something she said triggered an emotion in me. She was talking about attachment and gave us an example of someone she knows that went to her in great pain because her cat was deadly I'll with cancer
And my teacher was like: can you believe this? Like it is absurd or pointless to suffer for losing your pet. So bad is attachment for her. I asked her why she was going that far. Why being honest to one's feelings was something to judge as bad?
Well then she went into an explanation that suggested I needed to be more open minded to her teachings which come from years of study and knowledge. Well I said nothing and remained in silence since any further argument was just ego tantrum, he he.
Well I welcome any comments. I really want to see this experience with the holy spirit and I'm feeling kind of guilty for having reacted that way in class. I love my pet so much...and perhaps it came from there. So, was that a lack of acceptance from my part?
10:42 AM
ACIM Mentor said…
Anonymous, when you asked those questions of her did you do so to correct her or to make her wrong or were you really seeking to understand her point of view? If you were seeking to correct her or to make her wrong then you were coming from guilt and projecting it onto her. And guilt gets in the way of acceptance.
Correction here would not be further guilt but to look with the Holy Spirit at the guilt that you were projecting onto her.
11:29 AM
Anonymous said…
Thank you very much Liz. I understand that it was an experience for forgiveness as I had asked for. I can see clearly now ( as the song says!) Thank you for helping me to see it in this way. I feel blessed.
12:59 PM
Anonymous said…
My little story of acceptance I hope you enjoy and call, “Don't Get Your Panties In A Bunch . . . Since it was warmer out today, a balmy 28 degrees, I decided to take a drive to the mall with my 3 pups. You see, I was in need of some new panties and the brand I buy that don't ride up, I cannot get online (go figure) and since I live out in the pucker brush, the stores are a distance away. So I arrive at my destination, park the car and head over to the panty section. I notice they are on sale, 30% off and I was thrilled thinking I will save $12. I get to the register and was told I have to have the coupon to get the sales price. Dismayed because I did not have such coupon and considering I drove all this way, I painstakingly paid the full price. Feeling cheated out of $12, a victim of store marketing, I knew this was a job for the Holy Spirit and that I was in need of help because I was feeling unfairly treated or as I call it now, I was getting my panties in a bunch. I looked at my annoyance, how I set this up and asked to see this situation differently and then I remembered Liz's blog about acceptance and the words came streaming through, accept what is. I laughed!
2:39 PM
Aleta said…
That's a funny story, Anonymous! It is a good demonstration that we have to practice acceptance about the "little" things as well as the "big" things in life! It is all the same.
8:50 AM
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