For eighteen years, the Serenity Prayer has been my personal prayer and acceptance guide. “God, Grant Me the Serenity to Accept the Things I Cannot Change, Courage to Change the Things I Can, and The Wisdom to Know the Difference.” The...
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.”
Q: What is wrong with trying to control the circumstances of our lives? A: It’s important to distinguish between those circumstances that are set or fixed and those that are not.
Q: Romantic relationships can be stressful, especially when we try to “improve” or change our partner’s behavior and habits. How can accepting our loved one for who they are enhance our love bond? A: I don’t think any of us like being told by...
Q: How can letting go of control allay some of the fear and anxiety associated with the current economic uncertainty brought about by Covid-19? A: The feeling of being powerless over our finances (and job prospects) can be extremely discomfiting...
Q: How does our need to control stiffen life’s possibilities? A: When we focus too intently on trying to control or change people and things we are putting “blinders” on our selves, and literally can’t see the options and opportunities that...
Q: What does a person gain when they relinquish control? A: They gain greater vision and clarity—and ultimately greater serenity. Relinquishing control (or, as I sometimes say, losing control) frees life’s “natural currents” and allows us to...
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...
(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...
(7th in an ongoing series on “Acceptance in The Time of Coronavirus”) The other day as I was sorting through some books that had accumulated on my small bedside table, I came across a “dream catcher” journal that someone had given...
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...
(5th in an ongoing series on “Acceptance in The Time of Coronavirus“) I don’t know about you, but its easy for me to fall into a “lull” and “low” during The Time of Coronavirus. Every day seems the same, yet I feel different almost every...
