ACCEPTANCE

WHAT VALIDATES YOU?

 

WE ALL NEED A BIT OF CONFIRMATION EVERY NOW AND AGAIN TO BE SURE WE STILL GOT IT, RIGHT?

WHILE THESE ARE POSITIVE REINFORCERS, WE MUST HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT WE ARE TRULY FEELING - IN SPITE OF WHAT OTHERS MAY THINK OF US (MIGHT IT BE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE).

YOU MAY LIKE TO LET THE WORLD AROUND US CONTROL OUR EMOTIONS, HOWEVER, IT IS THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

BILLIONS OF INSTANCES OCCUR THROUGHOUT OUR EXPERIENCES THAT MAY EITHER MAKE OR BREAK OUR DAY. NEWS TO US, THOUGH WE MUST BE IN CONTROL.

IN SOME SITUATIONS WE COME TO REALIZE THAT WE CAN GET OVER IT AT THAT VERY MOMENT. OTHER TIMES, IT MAY TAKE MORE TIME THAN NORMAL DUE TO THE IMPACT IT MAY HAVE ON OUR LIVES.

OUR BODY AND MIND ARE CONDITIONED TO EXPRESS OUR FEELINGS.

AND WE SHOULD!

 

BUT HOW LONG, IS LONG ENOUGH?

THAT IS FOR YOU TO DECIDE!

 

IN OUR HISTORY, WE HAVE KNOWN STRESS TO BE THE TRIGGER FOR MANY MENTAL ILLNESSES, INFECTIOUS DISEASES, AND DISRUPTION OF FUNCTIONAL ABILITIES.

LET US TAKE STRESS INTO PERSPECTIVE.

SITUATIONS THAT SIGNAL A STRESS RESPONSE CAN BE CHANGED INTO A MORE POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE.

TO BEGIN, LIFE HAS ITS CHALLENGES, SOME MAY EXPERIENCE MORE FREQUENT THAN OTHERS OR THEY MAY EVEN COME ALL AT ONE TIME.

REST ASSURED, WE WILL OVERCOME.

NO MATTER WHAT WE ARE FACED WITH IN LIFE, THERE IS ALWAYS A BRIGHTER SIDE - WE JUST HAVE TO FIND IT.

WHILE WE MIGHT NOT HAVE THE ANSWER TO OUR PROBLEMS, THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE.

TRUSTING IN OURSELVES THAT WE MAY FIND THOSE ANSWERS OR THE HELP THAT WE NEED.

 

DO NOT PANIC.

OR IT WILL MAKE THINGS WORSE.

 REMEMBER HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BREATHE.

DO NOT LET PEOPLE GET TO YOU, OR BETTER YET, DO NOT LET THE RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL SEE THIS HAPPEN.

IT IS EASY TO RAISE OUR VOICES AT THE PEOPLE WE CHOOSE TO FIND RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR FEELINGS.

THOUGH, WE SHOULD REALLY BE HOLDING THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WAY THEY CHOSE TO DEAL WITH A PARTICULAR SITUATION.

 

SO TAKE A STEP BACK, TAKE A DEEP BREATH, TAKE A SECOND LOOK.

SHOW EVERYONE THAT YOU ARE IN CONTROL.

YOU RESPOND OR ACT ON YOUR OWN TERMS. EXERTING SUCH NEGATIVE ENERGY WILL NOT BETTER THE OUTCOME FOR THE CURRENT SITUATION, NOR FOR YOUR HEALTH IN THE LONG RUN.

SINCE WE ARE ON THE TOPIC OF HEALTH AND CONTROL, I WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE HOW THE FOODS WE INTAKE HAVE INHIBITORS THAT PROMOTE THE FEELINGS WE WANT TO FEEL (HIGHER ENERGY LEVELS, CONCENTRATION, BALANCED MOOD, RESTFUL SLEEP, RELAXATION, ETC.) IF THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO BE, START INTAKING AS MANY PLANT BASED FOODS AT THIS TIME!

 

YOU KNOW WHAT GRINDS MISCHIEVOUS PEOPLES' GEARS THE MOST?

WHEN THEY DO NOT RECEIVE THE RESPONSE IN WHICH THEY ARE LOOKING FOR. 

• SIMPLY, SMILE. FINDING PEACE WITHIN YOURSELF.

• BREATHE, TAKING THE CHANCE TO RE-THINK YOUR THOUGHTS.

• BE SILENT, LEAVING THE INITIATOR WITH NOTHING TO RELISH IN.

• STEP AWAY, GIVING YOURSELF THE SPACE YOU NEED TO CRY, SCREAM, LAUGH, SING, BANG ON WALLS, PULL YOUR HAIR, OR WHATEVER RELEASE YOU NEED ON YOUR OWN AND FINDING THE BETTER WORDS TO COMMUNICATE WHEN YOU ARE READY TO REVISIT.

 

THE FIRST BULLET SEEMS TO BE MY ALL TIME FAVORITE COPING MECHANISM. AS MUCH OF THE INDIFFERENCES THAT I DEAL WITH AT WORK, VERY RARELY WILL ANYONE KNOW THE FEELINGS I HOLD WITHIN ME.

THERE ARE MOMENTS WHEN I WANT TO TELL EVERYONE EVERYTHING! THEN I REALIZE THE SITUATION IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT TO GOING ON A RANT WITH EVERYONE I RUN INTO FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT.

I TRUST THAT IF I CANNOT FIX THE SITUATION, IT WILL FIX ITSELF. EVEN IF IT IS ONLY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, I WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALLOW MYSELF TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD IN OTHER AREAS WITHOUT DWELLING ON ONE OF THE FEW.

I CANNOT EXPRESS TO YOU HOW ILL-TEMPERED I USED TO BE. IF YOU KNOW ME PERSONALLY, YOU ARE PROBABLY IN SHOCK.

I WOULD FIND MYSELF LOOKING TO "FIX" THINGS AND IN TURN MAKING MATTERS WORSE BECAUSE OF MY OWN BEHAVIOR.

IT IS ALL ABOUT YOUR APPROACH.

WE CAN GET PEOPLE TO DO EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT THEM TO WITHOUT HAVING AN AUTHORITATIVE OR CONDESCENDING STYLE OF COMMUNICATION. IN FACT, PEOPLE RESPOND BETTER TO CALM TONES AND RELAXED BODY LANGUAGE, AND WILL MORE LIKELY BE WILLING TO DO SUCH THINGS WITHOUT YOU EVEN ASKING THE NEXT TIME.

IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO BELIEVE THAT WHAT WE GIVE IS WHAT WE SHOULD EXPECT TO RECEIVE. THE PEOPLE WHO SURROUND US ON A PERSONAL LEVEL ARE A REFLECTION OF WHO WE ARE AND WILL BECOME.

 

ANOTHER GREAT QUOTE I HAVE LONG CARED TO REMEMBER:

TELL ME WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE, AND I WILL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE