A simple step

Acceptance is a very powerful word, and one that often has a real influence on our direction and our future. The things that happen, the events that occur and how you react or respond to them helps to shape who you are and where you are going. Sometimes we react against things, fighting against what we believe and consider to be wrong, inappropriate or unsuitable. Typically, this reaction relates to things that have been, or that have occured. Sometimes it also relates to things and events that are on the horizon, pending or about to occur. In traditional psychology, pundits talk of 'flight or fight' as a response to things that affect or are likely to affect us in a 'bad' way - there is no obvious space here for doing nothing and simply accepting things as they are. Acceptance often brings peace of mind, no matter what the situation. Provided you are able to see fear for what it is, acceptance helps you to breathe. When you breathe, you often find that you can se...

Every week is an interesting one at the moment. The global economic crisis (or GEC as it is now being labelled) has affected almost everyone on the planet one way or another. It reminded me of the fact that the fear of not being in control can be our achilles heel. That fear of not being able to control the events in our lives can often be related to a fear of failure, especially when other people around us are moving things in a direction that makes us feel uncomfortable or out of our depth - the book 'Who moved my cheese' is a good one to pick up if you suffer from this phobia. More often than not, the people or changes to our lives that we most fear are the ones who can and will give us the most benefit, they are the ones that get us up off our butts and actually help us to 'shine', they are the ones that stretch us and help us to grow. In my life, these people and events are characterised by a feeling of fear, immense fear - they have on a couple of occasions brou...

It challenges us all. We all face up to it. We all tackle it. We all shy away from it. More important than that is how we face up to ourselves. Being honest with yourself is not as easy as it sounds, and it is often the cause of significant angst and negativity. It is always easier to blame someone else...rather than be honest about what we have committed ourselves to doing. Trouble is, it is a slippery slope!So, maybe the answer is to yield - to accept ourselves for who we are, and act accordingly. We make mistakes, we make the wrong decisions - the important thing is to be totally honest with ourselves and others and accept that sometimes, we have to admit that we have taken a wrong turn or made the wrong decision. Hiding from that is not good, it cuts across our ability to love ourselves for who we are.