Acceptance

From the Kitchen Canister of Wisdom:

"Acceptance is not a state of passivity or inaction. I am not saying you can't change the world, right wrongs, or replace evil with good. Acceptance is, in fact, the first step to successful action. If you don't fully accept a situation precisely the way it is, you will have difficulty changing it. Moreover, if you don't fully accept the situation, you will never really know if the situation needs to be changed."
Peter McWilliams (American Author)


Dictionary Definition: noun
1. the act of taking or receiving something offered.
2. favorable reception; approval; favor.
3. the act of assenting or believing: acceptance of a theory.
4. the fact or state of being accepted or acceptable.

Synonyms noun agreement, taking
acknowledgment          admission
approval                        compliance
consent                         cooperation
recognition                    acquiring
assent                           go-ahead
nod                               permission
undertaking                   gaining
green light                     obtaining
receiving                       taking on

I agree with Mr. McWilliams so far as the wisdom of taking the time to "accept" or understand a situation before forming an opinion or taking action... I don't think you need to approve, green light, or give permission... It is so crazy how imprecise and vague our language is. Acceptance is a huge part of recovery. It's in the spot light immediately in the Serenity Prayer... "God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

There's also levels of acceptance... intellectual vs. emotional. There's also a frequency that is important... it bears repeating. Similar to being grateful, I need to be reminded to be accepting. here's a very precise and enlightened quote from page 44 of "As Bill Sees It":

"Our very first problem is to accept our present circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the people around us as they are. This is to adopt a realistic humility without which no genuine advance can even begin. Again and again, we shall need to return to that unflattering point of departure. This is an exercise in acceptance that we can profitably practice every day of our lives.
Provided we strenuously avoid turning these realistic surveys of the facts of life into unrealistic alibis for apathy and defeatism, they can be the sure foundation upon which increased emotional health and therefore spiritual progress can be built."  Grapevine March 1962

Great reminder for me... that last bit about watching out for apathy and defeatism!  Hellow!!

Post Script:
The spellcheck not working... hasn't been working since 12/20, apparently, since cannister is spelled with ONE FUCKING "N" I just went back and fixed all the occurances of cannister. Interesting side note, the first quote I posted from the canister also involved acceptance.
"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them." Dr. Denis Waitley.

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