The Secret to Peace

Acceptance is the key to change, and the key to peace.

“On the other side of acceptance is where peace exists, where the solutions are,” says Ariane de Bonvoisin, author of The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Making Any Change Easier, quoted in the August 2009 Guideposts.

In 27 years of counseling, I have found that what Ms. De Bonvoisin says is always true. Always. No exceptions.

Do you believe me?

The opposite of acceptance is resistance, and strangely, resistance is what magnetizes to us exactly what we don’t want. In facing whatever we don’t want, and accepting it as it is, we are then able to reach peace around whatever the ‘it’ is.

Try this scenario: You really dislike your current job. Really dislike it. You want to quit, but for various reasons, you can’t. Rather than continue to resist the job, begin to find things you can appreciate (and therefore accept) about it. I’ve seen it work over and over again. When acceptance comes, change can happen.

Think of the thing you most resist in your current life. It could be a relationship, a task, an assignment, anything. Notice your own resistance to it. Begin to switch your resistance to appreciation, and you will find yourself living into acceptance of what is. Once you accept what is, it’s pretty easy to change it.

One of the things that never ceases to amaze me is that we actually resist peace on this planet. We make peace a when/then possibility. When I lose 15 pounds, then I’ll be at peace. Why not be at peace with the 15 pounds, and let them melt away?

When there’s a Republican/Democrat in the White House, then I’ll be at peace. Why?

When I’m out of debt, then I’ll be at peace. Why? Why wait to be at peace? What do you get from waiting, from postponing peace? I don’t think we get any benefit from it.

Like the gift of the present moment, peace can only exist in this moment–now. And then the next now. Delaying it doesn’t help anyone.

Try acceptance if you want peace.

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Read more: Peace, Spirit, acceptance, living in the present, peace

By Susan Corso, Ode Magazine

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Akay E.

12:15PM PST on Mar 9, 2012

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send a green star

Emerald J.

12:17PM PST on Jan 4, 2012

Somehow, I believe there is a fine line between the act of accepting and the act of embracing. Although the line is fine, it is very crucial. Acceptance to me means to see things as they are...without judgement. Embrace means to agree, and become interwoven. it is my persuasion that many are confusing these two very important elements when it comes to reaching a peaceful state. There are many things that I accept but do not embrace and have great peace, especially when I come face to face with my human limitations

Susan S.

7:44AM PDT on Apr 2, 2011

So simple. So hard.

April G.

3:05AM PST on Jan 4, 2011

there are a good many things in life you cannot change, & you can worry & fret about them or you can accept them, move on, & enjoy life. i know which i'd rather do :)

KS G.

12:53AM PDT on Oct 30, 2010

Thanks for the article.

Jonn N.

2:22PM PST on Feb 21, 2010

Accepting what happens in our lives is good. It when we try to refuse or go around to to find goodness that we fail. Once we give in to the meanderings of acceptance, change will come and our lives, choices or whatever, decisions will and may take place.

Maria W.

3:23AM PST on Feb 14, 2010

Great article...

Tanik T.

5:39AM PST on Dec 12, 2009

This article is great.. Thanks Megan for sharing..

5:38AM PST on Dec 12, 2009

Connie W.

1:34PM PST on Dec 3, 2009

Wow, I really needed this article! My life (and I'm sure many others) would be so much more peaceful if we accepted things and let them resolve themselves in due time. I know I spend a lot of time obsessing and worrying about things that I have little control over. I also know I need to accept that things will be resolved at their own pace and I need to stop wishing for it to hurry up. Thanks again for this article!