Acceptance

Low acceptance leads to high anger, how can I increase my acceptance of what is happening with me?

Increasing acceptance is about shifting your perspective and letting go of resistance. Here are some ways you can cultivate acceptance in your life:

1. Recognize Resistance

Anger often comes from resisting what is. Notice when you are rejecting reality—whether it's your family’s behavior, societal expectations, or your own struggles. Ask yourself: What am I resisting right now?

2. Understand That Life Is Not Personal

Much of what happens isn’t about you—it’s about the nature of reality, other people’s conditioning, and circumstances beyond control. Seeing life as a flow rather than a personal attack helps ease resistance.

3. Shift Your Focus from "Why Me?" to "What Now?"

Instead of dwelling on why something is happening, ask yourself: What can I do with this situation? Even if you cannot change it, how can you respond in a way that brings you peace?

4. Allow Feelings Without Attachment

Acceptance does not mean suppressing emotions. Feel anger, frustration, or sadness fully—but observe them instead of identifying with them. Let them pass through like clouds in the sky.

5. Practice Radical Acceptance

Radical acceptance means embracing life exactly as it is without needing it to be different. It does not mean approval—it means surrendering to the present moment so that suffering doesn’t increase.

6. Use the Power of "Yes"

Say yes internally to what is happening. Instead of resisting, try saying:
"Yes, this is happening. Yes, this is how things are right now. Yes, I can find my way through this." This simple shift can change how you feel.

7. Take a Higher Perspective

Ask yourself: If I zoom out and see this from a soul’s perspective, what might be the lesson? Life brings challenges for growth. Seeing the bigger picture can soften resistance.

8. Breathe Into the Moment

When anger arises, breathe deeply and consciously into it. Instead of reacting, feel the anger fully in your body, and let it dissolve with each breath.

9. Accept That Acceptance Takes Time

You won’t suddenly master acceptance overnight. It’s a process of daily practice. Be kind to yourself in this journey.

Would you like to explore this further through a specific situation?

me: It is not about accepting others. I thought acceptance is about making peace with others. But I feel acceptance is about who I am and how I am reacting to the world and seeing it from a non-judgemental point of view.Like yesterday I was invited for a function and everyone was forcing me to go and I did not go. This 'I did not go because I did not want to go'- this needs acceptance. Why I was invited and that my mood was already off etc is another thing.

Chatgpt: Yes, exactly. Acceptance is first and foremost about yourself—your choices, your feelings, your reactions. It’s about allowing yourself to be as you are, without judgment or justification.

In your example, true acceptance would mean:

• Not overthinking why you were invited—it happened, that’s all.
• Not feeling guilty for saying no—you didn’t go because you didn’t want to, and that’s valid.
• Not forcing yourself to explain your mood—you felt how you felt, and that’s okay.
• Not trying to fit into others’ expectations—their pressure is their issue, not yours.

This is self-acceptance in its purest form: I am how I am in this moment, and that is enough.

Where do you feel resistance to accepting yourself fully?

Me: There is so much societal pressure to heed to their invitations and I find that very annoying.

chatgpt: I get that. Society operates on expectations, often assuming that everyone should comply without question. The pressure to conform—especially in social settings—can be frustrating, especially when you value your space and autonomy.

But here’s the thing: annoyance comes from resistance. Not resistance to their invitations, but resistance to the expectation that you should obey. The more you wish society were different, the more it will drain your energy.

A shift in perspective could be:

1. See their pressure as their conditioning, not your problem. People push because they think it's normal; it doesn’t mean you have to engage.
2. Let go of the need for them to understand you. You don’t have to convince them why you didn’t go. Just a simple "I didn’t feel like it" is enough.
3. Accept that they will react. They might judge, gossip, or try again—but so what? Let them do what they do, and you do what you do.
4. Turn annoyance into amusement. Instead of getting irritated, observe it like a social experiment: “Ah, here comes the persuasion again.” It takes the emotional charge out of it.

You’re already choosing your own way. The next step is to do it without being bothered by what they expect. Wouldn’t that be freeing?