The Importance of Acceptance and Growth
How do we know when to accept where we are and when to push ourselves forward into growth?
The truth is, we should always be doing both. When you accept who you are, what you believe in, where you came from and where you are headed you are surrendering to something greater than yourself.
On the contrary, when we push ourselves, it’s only because we know we can do better, feel better, be better, love better, live better. When we push ourselves we have acknowledged that we are capable of so much more.
As we are in this constant state of acceptance of ourselves and at the same time pushing ourselves, it is always with our best interest at heart. We cannot take care of others if we haven’t taken care of ourselves first. We cannot move onto the next step if we haven’t understood why we are in our current state in the first place. We cannot see what’s next if we aren’t grateful for what is here in front of us right now.
So how will we know when it is time for us to say goodbye to what no longer serves us or when we should fully embrace the situation we are in here and now? We have all had that moment, that fork in the road where we had to ask ourselves, “What’s next?” Sometimes we gave ourselves time to question and wander and figure out exactly what that next step should be. But most of the time, and in a lot of ways it’s how most of us live from moment to moment, we use our intuition. We feel our way through situations and big decisions and when we are asked why we chose a certain path we can say with conviction, “It just felt right.”
Our body is the only body that we get in this life. It’s worked for us and at times against us our whole lives and we know what it needs. Intuition works in the same way. We know when it feels right - and not just comfortable - to stay where we are. We know when it feels right to push a little further, grind a little harder, and to start looking for that next step to take. We may get confused, the message might get muffled, but if we stop and listen, the answer can be so much clearer than you realize.
That is where the importance of calming the mind comes in. Some people calm the mind with a hot shower, others with soft music, and the more popular one to date is of course meditation. If you are struggling to figure out what your next step should be, take a step back from the chaos. Do whatever it is that calms your mind and soothes your soul. But most importantly, listen. Too often when we come to these roadblocks and wonderings on where to go next we tend to ask a million questions a million miles an hour.
The next time you are faced with these questions, accept yourself exactly as you are. As long as it may take, it is the first step in being able to move forward. Then, begin to ask yourself what you feel in your heart is the right next step for you. Gently push yourself in that direction, with patience and conviction. And lastly, make sure you listen. The Universe is constantly guiding us, every second of everyday. Only by listening will our questions be answers and our voice be heard.
