Acceptance

These days, the hardest thing to do is accept. When faced with the overwhelming pressures of life’s difficulties, the majority of us tend to run away. In effect, we are giving up by doing so. Running away from the pressures of life is not living.

Living life to the fullest is embracing life for what it is: good points and bad points, happiness and hurt, pain and triumph alike. Whenever we run away from the trials that life brings, we are also throwing away our chances of living life to the very fullest.

So the question here is: What are we to do in the face of these challenges? Are we simply going to run away and let life win over us? Are we going to settle in our comfort zones and not break free and move on to the world beyond, a world rife with both challenge and the prospect of achievement?

The answer is short, and rather simple: acceptance. In order to live our lives to the very fullest and, at the same time, correctly, we must simply accept. Acceptance is the first step. By allowing ourselves to accept the trials that have been put before us, we are gearing ourselves to work toward overcoming these obstacles and moving forward. Acceptance allows us to not dwell in the past but, rather, prepare ourselves for the future.

Some will argue that acceptance may also mean surrendering to whatever trial we are facing, which is definitely not the case. This piece may encourage the practice of acceptance in life, but that does not at all mean that it advocates acceptance alone. One must realize that acceptance is the first step toward action and, eventually, freedom from life’s stresses. It is only when we accept that these trials are happening to us, and that they are a part of our lives, are we enabled to find correct ways to handle these difficulties and eventually move on with our lives.

Remember: Acceptance may be a step toward something, but it’s not the answer to everything.

Colleen Elise Yu, 19, is a communication sophomore at Ateneo de Manila University.