Acceptance
"And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.
When I am disturbed,
it is because I find some person, place, thing, situation --
some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me,
and I can find no serenity until I accept
that person, place, thing, or situation
as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake.
Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober;
unless I accept life completely on life's terms,
I cannot be happy.
I need to concentrate not so much
on what needs to be changed in the world
as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 419
Copyright © 1976 A.A.W.S. Inc.
      this was the hardest part for me!!!!  ACCEPTANCE....such a  nice *sounding* word,  but oh it stuck in my throat because i was such a *victim* in my  pre-12Step years......"WHY accept being victimized???"  was my ???   "doesn't that mean total defeat???"    it wasn't until i got here, that i realized that  *acceptance*  to me is to  , yes, allow the feelings,  and than  ask myself  "can i control this??"   "can i fix it???"   and that was when i began to accept that   its better  if i don't *fight life,  but to release the karma from me*........ i discovered that i don't have to  *agree* with the situation....i don't have to *like* the situation......but for my serenity , i found that i DID/ DO have to  "give to universe, that which i cannot control"      acceptance is just saying  "this is the way it is...and i can only control me/ my attitude towards it"   and sometimes my attitude has been to  *walk away*......i also found out that acceptance didn't mean i had to *wallow* in misery.....its just  the reversal of DENIAL.........just my take....take what works,  leave the rest......rosie

Wow...thank you...it makes so much sense.  It is something I struggle with.  I always have the courage to change the things I can....I have a hell of a time accepting those I can't.  Thanks for giving me something to think about

bd

That was a good share. Thanks for posting.