The Power of Acceptance

Many years ago I was expressing to my father the frustrations I was having while being in a relationship I wasn't happy with.

She wouldn't listen to me, I told him.

Then he said something I would never forget:

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but it's not under your control."

And just like that, I understood.

In life you have what are called internal factors and external factors. Internal factors are the decisions you can control. What time you get up, what time you go to sleep, what kind of food you put in your body and which sleep tech you use are all examples of internal factors. Lots of little decisions that when added together, have a big impact on your life and the lives of the people around you.

Just take a moment to look at your hand. Move your fingers around. You just did that, by your own decision, without getting any agreement from the world that you were going to move your fingers.

You just "did".

Acceptance is a powerful way to put your mind at ease, which will help you accomplish your goals. Acknowledging that there are things you simply cannot control (external factors) will free your mind to focus on the things you can control (internal factors). What will happen, will happen. And that's OK. Now that you've acknowledged the inevitable, you can plan around it and then quickly return your focus to the areas of your life you *can* control.

Acceptance of what you cannot control, frees your mind to make plans for the things you can.

Take a simple example: you're walking your dog. You see someone in the distance heading your direction with their dog, and it's barking aggressively and doesn't seem very happy. You cross the street far ahead of time. You wrap the leash tightly around your hand and prepare your footing so your dog can't run towards them. You then locate the pepper spray you're carrying. You've now set yourself up for the best possible outcome, which will be much better than if you hadn't prepared.

The same mindset can be used during the evening, when you're preparing for bed. Swap the wine for tea (non-caffeinated) and charge your sleep aid before bedtime.

Congratulations: you're now the master of your destiny.

Until next time,

Verus Health