The Genesis of The Gifts of Acceptance
The genesis of my book “The Gifts of Acceptance: Embracing People and Things as They Are” began with a short blog post I wrote almost 10 years ago titled “5 Good Reasons for Accepting People As They Are.”
Letting Go of Control Truths and Tips (#2)
Truth and Tips Q&A #1 explained how fear was the prime driver of our need to control others and outcomes. Q&A #2 is a logical follow up: Q:How can we reduce our fears so that we will control less? (Part One) A: Effectively reducing our...
Overcoming Denial in The Time of Coronavirus
(8th in an ongoing series on “Acceptance in The Time of Coronavirus”) Overcoming denial is a prerequisite to acceptance. You can’t accept “what is” when you are unaware, can’t, or refuse to “see” the underlying reality of the situation. This is...
Letting Go of Judgment in The Time of Coronavirus
Letting Go of Judgment in The Time of Coronavirus (6th in an ongoing series on “Acceptance in The Time of Coronavirus“) I’ve always struggled with being too judgmental of others. I’ve worked a lot on being less so, but it takes constant...
Managing Expectations in The Time of Coronavirus
(4th in an ongoing series on Acceptance in The Time of Coronavirus) I’ve often talked and written about the importance of moderating our expectations if we wish to control less and accept more. High expectations can hurt us in a lot of...
Acceptance in the Time of Coronavirus–A Series
“These are Times that Try Men’s Souls” In December 1776 General George Washington and his troops were facing imminent defeat, having been driven out of New York and chased across New Jersey by the British. Washington had been deserted by...
Optimizing The Benefits of The Serenity Prayer
The Serenity Prayer* is my guide to practicing acceptance in all my affairs. It is a prayer for acceptance that allows me to be more fully aware, from the very start of my day, of the vast number of things I cannot control or change, and it...
The Humility/Acceptance Link
In media interviews for The Gifts of Acceptance I am often asked, “what are the keys to practicing acceptance?” When I say “humility” is an important key, some interviewers ask me to explain further because the link between humility and...
The Gifts of Accepting Our Children’s Addictions
Some people–maybe even you–upon reading the title of this post might immediately retort something like, “Gifts? What do you mean mean gifts? My child’s addiction has been nothing but a horrendous burden for us.” I...
The Link Between Acceptance and Recovery
In a previous post, The Link between Addiction and Control, I considered whether a pertinent connection exists between addiction and control. I hypothesized that because the internal lives of most addicts are so out of control, they attempt to...