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.”
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...
Taking Stock in The Time of Coronavirus
(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
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...
Accepting “Lulls” and “Lows”
We all have uncomfortable lulls in our lives where we feel things are at a standstill, or when we have nothing interesting or productive to engage us, or when we simply feel stuck. Even the word lull itself makes me feel a certain dread. My lulls...
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...
Three Misconceptions About Acceptance
Do you have trouble accepting annoying people in your life? If you are like others I have spoken to on the matter, your thoughts on the subject might be similar to theirs: Why should I accept . . . My sister’s condescending behavior? My mother’s...
Challenges of Accepting People and Things as They Are
There are formidable challenges to accepting people and things as they are. In the Gifts of Acceptance: Embracing People and Things as They Are I explore in depth how to overcome the main obstacles to practicing acceptance. As part of my...
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...
Are Recovery Books Only for Addicts?
Freedom people living a free, happy, carefree life at beach. Silhouettes of a couple at sunset arms raised up showing happiness and a healthy lifestyle against a colorful sky of clouds background. The primary purpose of most recovery books...