ACCEPTANCE

Sooner or later everyone arrives at a point where life seems to have become too big to cope with. Life is really never too much for us, but it can seem to be. When this happens, we have to get back in focus. We have lost our perspective. But it can be regained. You may have become to think of the world as unspeakably vast.

The earth, 25,000 miles around, and outer space full of unknown worlds. But practically the world is limited to your house, your shop, and your town. Even if you fly to India or Paris or Hong Kong, your world is no bigger than the interior of the airplane, and no farther away than the nearest airport. You may have come to regard the world as teaming with millions and millions of people. In reality, your world consists of a very small number of people. Those you live with, those you work with, and those you're acquainted with.

And the awful menacing future, that unending nightmare of shadowy days and years. Can't even bare to think about it! Well, quit thinking about it! You live only a split second at a time. That's right just this minute. You can think of only one thing at a time, do only one thing at a time. You actually live one breath at a time. So stop living in a tomorrow that may never come. And start living one day at a time. Plan for tomorrow, but live only until bedtime tonight. In short, that big boogey man, life, can be cut down to its real size.

Life is only this place, this time, and these people, right here and now. This you can handle, at least today. But my life is just one problem after another! Of course it is, that's life. I don't know how it is with you, but it took me a long time to realize that at least some of these problems were of my own making. For instance, I thought that it was my duty to try to solve other people's problems, arbitrate their disputes, and show them how to live their lives. I was hurt when they rejected my unsolicited advice. I finally realized that you cannot help people unless they really need help, are willing to be helped, want you to help them, and ask you to help them. Even then, you can only help them to help themselves.

An old Arab, whose tent was pitched next to a company of whirling dervishes was asked, "don't they bother you?" "No" "What do you want to do about them?" "I'll let them whirl."

I cost myself a lot of unnecessary grief by trying to be unselfish. To think of everybody else first, myself last, and to try to please everybody. But you can't please everybody. You can knock yourself out doing this, and that, and the other thing to please your cousins, and your sisters, and your aunts. And you find out that they are not really affected one way or the other. Please everybody? Nobody's pleased. Please yourself? At least you're pleased!

Charity begins at home. And enlightened self-interest is a basic endowment of human nature. You can save yourself a lot of grief but admitting the futility of trying to please everybody, or, of trying to please somebody who just can't be pleased.

A surprising number of people believe that other people can hurt their feelings. They won't believe you when you tell them that this just isn't so. That no one can hurt you unless you let them. If irresponsible, or unreasonable criticism causes you unhappiness, that is at least partly your own fault. We all say, "I don't care what people say". But the tragic thing is that we do care. And pretending you don’t makes things worse. What to do? Practice turning a deaf ear to the person who irritates, or upsets you. Make up your mind that you are not going to let yourself pay any attention to what "he" or "she" says, and mean it. This you won't believe until you try. If you refuse at least to try it, some suspicious and cynical soul, like me for instance, might suspect that perhaps that you got so into the habit of having your feelings hurt, that you'd be bored otherwise. So much for unnecessary suffering.

ACCEPTANCE

These various home remedies, blaming everybody, self-pity, and the rest, have made one result. They make everybody, including us more miserable, and add to our difficulties without solving them. Shall we curse GOD and die? No! Do what the politicians do. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. If you can't solve your problems, learn to live with them, and in spite of them. "Oh sure sure, just like that". All very well to say learn to live with them, but it's another thing to do it. Just how you go about doing that? Very simple my friend. So simple you wouldn't try it unless you were desperate. And if you are desperate enough, you'll try anything. So try something that works. Try acceptance.

Acceptance is the only real source of tranquility, serenity, and peace. It is also known as surrender. Bowing to the inevitable, joining them. It can be acquired if you have an urgent desire to help yourself, and are willing to ask GOD to help you.

THE KINDNESS OF GOD

Divine providence is that quality of GOD's action by which He brings good out of evil, or by which He permits us to do evil by which He may eventually bring good out of it. The kindness of GOD is the best answer to the age-old complaint. "Why does GOD let them get away with it?"

SUFFERING

The way of the cross may be hard, but it remains the only road to happiness, serenity, and peace in this life on earth. And at it's end, there awaits you happiness without measure, without limit, and without end.

CONTENTMENT

At the very least, you can tell GOD every morning that you hold yourself available for use as His instrument, if only by praying him to bless everyone whom you meet.

Serenity Prayer

GOD, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardships as the pathway to peace. Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will. That I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.
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