Acceptance

If you have been following me on social media, well Twitter tbh, you will know about how often I’ve been complaining about things that I can’t change and my built-up frustrations. I’ve been annoyed that because of my health I’ve not been able to be active. I’ve been annoyed at how slow healthcare has been whilst acknowledging that I need patience since we are still in a pandemic with rising death numbers. I’ve been annoyed at the sheer amount of prescription drugs I have to take to be able to function. But most of all I’ve been annoyed because I let the frustration get the best of me.

It’s easy to do. I for one know how different my life is when I’m at my optimal health. I can feel the difference in all aspects of my life when I can be active- an example being running 5 miles in 43 mins vs 1.5 miles in 30 mins. Having the concentration to read and write daily between multiple jobs, whilst at the moment I have to decide what I can focus my energy on daily. I know that this is temporary but I couldn’t help feeling sad at how little I could achieve in a day or week compared to before.

For far too long I kept thinking of the “what if” and comparing myself to the “before”. This is so unhealthy and led me to a spiral. What I needed was acceptance. Why, because comparison, as was in my case, the thief of all joy. It sapped away anything that would have made the situation better, my mindset in this case, and stopped me from finding workable solutions to make the most of my life at the moment.

Over the weekend, when I had to cancel yet more plans because I was drained and couldn’t afford to leave my home, I had a mind shift. What if this was going to be me now? What if I was forever unable to do all that I had done before? Was I going to spend the rest of my days in self-pity and frustration? This was not acceptable. This wasn’t a solution nor was it a life worth having for me. So, rather than spend the time thinking of all that I couldn’t do, I focussed on what I could do.

It was by accepting my current limitations that I could move beyond the frustration and anger toward a positive mindset. I honestly feel more like myself again, smiling and laughing at the world. There is a lot of stuff that I have no control over, but what I do have… you bet I’m going to make it as fun and delightful as I can!

It all starts with accepting the situation so you can then find the right solution. Success is created by all of the steps you take toward your goal.