Step Five

​What do we mean by acceptance? The root of the word means to receive something and understand. Acceptance, in this sense, allows the mind to embrace the true, deep understanding of how things really are. It allows us to become fully aware of difficulties, and to respond to them in the most skillful way possible. It gives us more time and space to respond. It and often, we may discover, the wisest way of responding is to do nothing at all. Of course, such acceptance can be very difficult, and that’s why we’re going to divide this process into two. The first involves gently noticing the temptations to drive away or suppress any unsettling thoughts, feelings, emotions and physical sensations. The second stage involves actively meeting them “at the door laughing” and greeting them “honorably,” as the poet Rumi suggests. This can be a hard and, occasionally, a painful experience but it's not half as difficult as resigning yourself to a life blighted by unsettling thoughts, feelings and emotions. The secret is to take, once again, tiny steps in the direction of acceptance.