Acceptance not Approval
With Gratitude May 12
“Quite as important was the discovery that spiritual principles would solve all my problems.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 42
Just because I accept something does not mean that I approve of it. These are two different concepts. When I accept a situation, I understand that there is nothing I am able to do to change it. It is what it is. This is far different from approving of the situation as a whole. I am entitled to keep my thoughts and feelings about a situation as long as I realize I am probably powerless to change it.
This often comes up at work. Decisions are made by people and I am required to follow policy that affects me but that I was never given input on. This is part of my acceptance of being an employee rather than an employer. I in turn do the same thing to my students. They may not like my policies, but they accept them as the current reality.
The more I fight against reality, the more I try to get my reality to match my feeling of the moment, the more trouble I am in. It usually means I am trying to control. This ultimately brings me back to Step One, in which I admit my personal powerlessness and acknowledge how that powerlessness often leads straight to unmanageability.
Today’s Prayer
God, today I am willing to accept the reality of my current circumstances. Help me realize that I do not have to approve of the situation in order to accept it.