Personal Awareness: Accept whatever you are doing

If you are at all like me or most other people, then you probably spend some time resisting, consciously or unconsciously what you are doing. You can get caught in a battle between what you want to be doing and what you are doing. This is a bit like driving a car with the brake on, there is forward movement but resistance to it at the same time. That certainly isn’t good for your car and neither is it good for you. It is stressful, draining and leads to disconnection from the present moment.

Developing personal awareness through acceptance

Acceptance is the first step in developing personal awareness, otherwise we are just kidding ourselves. Holding our breath until miraculously something changes. Acceptance forces us to face reality but we resist it because we confuse acceptance with resignation to something we don’t want to be resigned to, being stuck with something we don’t want to be stuck with. We would rather avoid facing the reality of our current experience than confront it head on.

Only when we fully accept can there be an opening for change. The extraordinary thing is that when we do fully accept, there may no longer be a need for change. It is often our resistance to the present moment that causes dissatisfaction.

Accept whatever you are doing

Try to accept whatever you are doing, whether that is a regular task that you resist doing or a whole job you rail against internally.

If you are doing something, accept that you are doing it in the moment that you are doing it. Totally experience what you are doing, don’t do it begrudgingly.

Awareness give you options

Developing personal awareness allows you to identify the ‘resistance’.

It could be that your resistance is a sign that it is time for a change but then you need to assess your options and not just endure.

To paraphrase Eckhart Tolle you have three options.

1. You can change the situation.
2. You can remove yourself from it.
3. You can completely accept it.

Anything else leads to frustration and unhappiness.

If you would like to change or remove yourself from the situation but there does not appear to be an option for that right now, then take responsibility for the choice you are making and completely accept it, don’t carry on with resistance.

Acceptance is a transformational process it will change your present moment experience and could well create an opening for wider change.
Try it and see.