fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
The first step of peace with yourself is acceptance.
By: Jigar Vyas
Tags: Moveon, Beyourself, Own, Acceptance, Responsibility

Acceptance sets you free.

We all want to be happy and live our life like as we imagined in our childhood but it is the fact that 80% of people are not living the life which they wished for, we all want success in our life whether it is financially or personally. we all want to spend our day less stressed. our generation is most depressed and with full anxiety because there are a lot of things which are affected to us whether it is our choice or someone else choices is affecting us.

It’s time to accept the fact most of our life right now is the decision we make in the past. those our decision and yet somehow we manage to everything blame on others and that’s the worst thing we can do because we thought that we can fool our self that all these things happen to me is not my fault and we kinda move on with this thought but this type of things can never let you in peace because deep down we know that what we do is wrong and we also know whom to blame. I have done this many times and I now realize that it is not the answer. I know many of you also feel the same so I think here is the time.

The moment we accept our responsibility for everything in our life is the moment you gain the power to change anything in life. let’s face it whatever happens around us in career, family or financially it’s all our fault and our decision that we took and ended up here. We all have that fear we defeat anyone but we cannot defeat ourself and this is the time to get up and own our mistakes in order to make peace with the past. I think this is the only way to keep your head and heart at peace and it will lead you to a wonderful life. I know it’s not that easy as it seems because I have been facing these problems for like last 3 years but I think it is high time to accept.

So, whatever happened to me in the past I take full responsibility for that and I promised myself if there is anything bad happens to me in the future and I know that it is my decision that landed me here. I will face it because this little thing will give you courage otherwise we will keep running away with ourself and we cannot meet ourselves. make peace with yourself first and then everything around you will be at peace itself.

Accept and Move on that the only thing you lead this life as you want.
I’ve had acne for as long as I can remember. At least since I was thirteen.
Tags: Acne Treatment, Acne, Insecurity, Acceptance, Self Love

When I say I’ve tried everything, I’ve tried everything. I’ve tried sheet masks, clay masks, egg whites, lemon, green tea bags, tea tree oil, toothpaste, rose water spray, anything that had even a chance of working. People continue to make new recommendations: I recently heard crushing up aspirin and applying that somehow will clear up all my problems. Maybe I’ll give that a try. It can’t go any worse than it did when I tried sheet masks, which seriously irritated my skin and left me with a red, flaky face that was worse than the acne.

My friends who had acne in high school now have beautiful, clear skin. I ask them how they did it, and I get one of two answers: either they washed their face and drank cucumber water (yay for them), or they brought out the big guns.

I’ve been avoiding Accutane for as long as I’ve been seeing dermatologists (something like five years). I’ve heard horror stories about women who stopped taking the medication after it cleared up their acne and whose children suffered birth defects related to the drug years later. I’ve heard more mild but still panic-inducing tales about peeling skin and full-body rashes and missed periods and illness that have made me apprehensive to even entertain the possibility of taking the drug myself.

When my dermatologist brought up Accutane at my last appointment in November, I expressed my anxiety about the treatment, he didn’t seem to have much patience for it. I don’t enjoy those appointments much as it is, and he never seems to really care about how much my poor skin is hurting me. I feel ugly, and he doesn’t seem to care. It certainly doesn’t help that nothing he recommends or prescribes is working, either. The antibiotics make me sick to my stomach.

Hopefully it’s understandable that the last thing I want to do is start taking a drug I see as dangerous to my overall health at his insistence.

I am on a semester abroad right now, but I have an appointment scheduled for when I get back.

Here’s the thing: my skin right now is probably the worst it’s ever been. It’s repulsive, not to mention painful. I haven’t changed anything, I’ve followed all of his instructions to the letter, and yet my skin has gotten much worse in just the last few weeks. At this point, I’m desperate.

I might even be desperate enough to start Accutane this summer.

I don’t know what the future holds for my skin. I’ve stopped imagining myself as one of the beautiful, fit, poreless models that I see constantly on Instagram. I don’t think perfectly clear skin can or will ever happen for me. I really just want not to find new painful places on my face every time I look in the mirror. I’d just like to see progress. I’d like to see a little bit of healing. If Accutane is the only way I’m going to get that, then it’s the way I’m going to go.
Becoming Your Own Cheerleader
By: Elsa Jeanette
Tags: Self Improvement, Self Growth, Acceptance, Confidence, Self Love

Motivation is the intangible force that distinguishes the achievers from the dreamers. For some, there’s never enough and for others it is all they have. Achieving a goal looks great on paper; but, few rarely outline the steps necessary to complete this larger than life picture they’ve created for themselves. These goals get lost on the to-do lists we create for ourselves year after year and we are reminded of them when the time to create resolutions comes around. Despite the lists we create, having the right tools and the drive to succeed, there is one factor that gets overlooked: CONFIDENCE.

Believing Is More Than Just Instinct

“There’s nothing wrong with believing in yourself”. This simple statement of truth came about in a conversation in which I confided my doubts in my self-growth. During this time, I was beginning to realize the importance of prioritizing self-care over stretching myself thin to please others. I feared what others would think of me so heavily, that I never exercised the power of saying “No”.

Believing in yourself is so much more than trusting your abilities, its trusting that the decisions you make are in your best interest. Learning to differentiate fear from guilt is a powerful tool that only growth can provide. It’s not always easy, because you will second guess yourself ;but, if you’re not the one making decisions, they will be made for you.

Credit: Elsa Jeanette

Push Through The Noise

In pursing goals, chances are this will be the time when some around you will project toxic tendencies. These are the naysayers, doubters and vampires that will zap the fuel propelling your vision. The truth is, these individuals can be sharing from their own experience and mean well; however, taking negativity to heart will make you doubt yourself. Sometimes you gotta put the blinders on in order to stay focused.

Photo by Quentin Dr on Unsplash

You Matter

As simple as it sounds, your opinion of yourself matters more than what others think. If you think you’re valuable, that is worth more than enough. If someone belittles you, often times they are projecting the qualities they feel they are missing from feeling whole. Truth is, we all have things we can work on to create moments of happiness for ourselves. If someone is more preoccupied with your journey, chances are they’re fearful to pursue their own. No doubt, there have been many situations where I have questioned my worth but I’ve had to remind myself that my value comes from within and I can’t expect others to validate it for me.

Photo by Max Brown on Unsplash

Becoming your own cheerleader is not a means to achieving perfection (nor should it ever be), but it is a step forward toward growth that will enhance most, if not all facets of your life.
The Power of Acceptance
By: Dr. Betina Chandolia
Tags: Love Yourself, Life Lessons, Power, You, Acceptance

Photo by Caleb George on Unsplash

The most difficult, yet most satisfying thing in our life is Acceptance. The sooner the better. We live with limitless expectations which are attached more with our loved ones than from ourselves. We expect a lot of love, attention, time, things and what not.

But, when it comes to self, we tend to kill those expectations. How? Let’s say you want yourself to attain a beautiful figure or athletic body. But, you keep postponing your exercise plans to every next day. That’s because we are so easy with ourselves that we let it go when we don’t complete it.

When it comes to our near and dear ones, we often get angry when they are not able to cope with our demands. We expect them to be so perfect and we don’t want them to create any mistakes as well. But, why do we forgive ourselves when we don’t fulfil the wishes which we wanted to?

At times, when our loved ones are not able to give that time and attention to us, we start complaining and ruin our mood. Ever realised, if we don’t waste time complaining and spend that time on improving ourselves instead, how different things would become then?

This might sound a good thought to you but in actual it is very difficult to apply to. Why? Because we have this very difficult habit of not accepting things. We find it easy to waste time on negative thoughts, complaining things as if why the other person is not doing the things as we want.

Once, you start accepting things, life would become much more easier. Try accepting the fact that the other person has his/her own life, requires his/her own space to live. Stop running after anyone to let them stay in your life. Get over your insecurities. If someone has to stay in your life, they will stay. If they don’t, they were never meant to stay. It is better you let them go. Unleash all those bonds which are creating disturbance in your life. If you can’t create space for yourself, don’t let them cause storms in your mind.

Give yourself that breathing space. It is high time that you start to live your life, concentrate on improving yourself, give attention to your physical and mental health, prioritise yourself. Accept the fact that life would be more enjoyable if you keep the focus of your life on yourself.

Start implementing the power of acceptance today and see the results for yourselves. You will find a considerable difference. Start creating that difference today !
I Have No Idea What I’m Doing… (Part 1)
By: Becki Brown
Tags: Growing Up, Change, Struggle, Acceptance, Careers

I figured I would engage with the right formula of self-help books and entrepreneur podcasts to bypass all the extra hassle most people endure; that with enough determination, passion, and insight, I’d fast track my way into my ideal work situation.

Now, as I continue to work through dejection, disappointment, and frustration, I’m growing to accept that reality will not align with my expectations.

(Full disclosure: I’m still holding out hope for the job fairy to come down and provide me with my ideal job.)

As I stroll down this path of adulthood, one which I only truly committed to about a year ago, I realize that so much of success is simply continuing to put one foot in front of the other, accepting current conditions, and making small, consistent improvements.

Photo by Vlad Bagacian on Unsplash

The immature part of me wants change to come as soon as I decide I’m ready for it. I expect life to get in line with my desires. I believe that being a good person earns me the right to make special demands (why volunteer, eat healthy, exercise, etc. otherwise??).

But time and time again, life reminds me that this is not how it works. That being a good person is a reward in and of itself. And that life not matching my desires doesn’t free me from the responsibility of living a life of integrity.

With each struggle I encounter, such as my recent health problems, as I open up about it, I find I’m not alone. There are young adults all around me (such as my boyfriend or best friend) and parents of young adults who echo my concerns over finding a job that’s both fulfilling and pays the bills. And so I realize more and more to what extent I’m truly not so special. I realize for the umpteenth time that the struggle is an indivisible part of the journey (ugh), an ongoing part of being a human being. Yesterday it was my health problems, today it’s finding a job, and tomorrow… well let’s not think about it. Maybe it’ll be wondering what to do with all my extra money once I finally land that dream job :p
It feels good to be back here.
Tags: Loss, Death, Grief, Mourning, Acceptance

It feels good to be back here.

Last year late October I lost my dad, I loved him so much, I was his first born and the bond between us was special. He was the mist caring, loving and principled person I have come across.

29th October 2020 was the darkest day of my life. I had never in my life felt so confused, shocked and in unending pain. It happened so fast, like a whisker of an eye. One minute he was with us the other he was gone never to come back.

The Month started with celebration of my daughter’s Month, Mid of the same Month is also celebrated my birthday. Just when the Month was to end he goes to a land of no return.

He was a man of great wisdom, integrity and valued the word of God. When he left us a part of me felt numb and so empty. I could not understand how the previous day we were talking, laughing and discussions on life beyond the hospital bed and the next morning he was gone.

I was in disbelief I went to confirm more than 6 times I even begged the medics to resuscitate him, I was not done with my dad yet. I wish for better and happy days ahead.

For months I have hidden the pain, but I realise pain changes you slowly. I stopped doing things that would make me fill fully alive.

Healing is a journey, I am happy to be here talking about it even in bits because it is a milestone made in my grief.

I want to burn with desire to write more, do things that make me alive and be around people that accept me for who I am.
The Raw Vulnerability of Shame
By: Tara Whitney
Tags: Healing, Shame, Acceptance, Transformation

The Raw Vulnerability of Shame

Photo by Gage Walker on Unsplash

I often don’t notice shame until I start feeling like shit. Which is an interesting way to describe how I’m feeling because I’ve been there many times. It’s an old and familiar place within me.

Hello, heaviness. Hello, darkness. Hello, old friend.

When I’m in this shitty place, my mind is so busy looking for what’s wrong.

? What’s wrong with my business.

? What’s wrong with how I ate today.

? What’s wrong with how my jeans fit.

? What’s wrong with my bank account.

? What’s wrong with that new pimple on my cheek (damn, is it the new moisturizer I just bought? Should I stop using it? But I love how it feels on my skin! ;( Crap!).

Something is wrong. I’m wrong. Life is wrong. It’s all wrong.

No wonder I’m feeling weighed down.

But it doesn’t stop there.

The “wrongs” are accompanied by the “shoulds” and the “shouldn’ts”.

I shouldn’t be questioning my food choices. I shouldn’t be judging my body. My business should be growing faster. My skin should be clearer.

This conversation in my mind is automatic. Until I’m awakened while starting my yoga practice.

I didn’t want to unroll my mat this morning and sit my ass on my meditation cushion. But I’ve learned the hard way. The days I don’t want to be still are the days I need it the most. When I’m feeling bad, this is at least one thing I can do that will offer me some relief.

After just a few short minutes, in a whisper, I hear “you’re feeling shame”.

I search for where I can feel this shame in my body. But I can’t locate it specifically.

That’s okay. I know what to do with shame.

I witness it. I bring it to the light. I write about it. I share it.

I don’t need to hold this darkness inside of me where it will grow. The moment I’m willing to be with it is the moment I feel tender relief. It no longer has a hold on me.

I get to be free.

If you’re wanting to release yourself from the heaviness of shame, consider these steps:

A daily practice of awareness and stillness (especially when you don’t want to).

A practice that creates safety in your body (yoga, time outside, rest).

A heavy dose of compassion toward yourself. Let go of the rigidity of perfectionism.

Take yourself lightly. When I get serious with myself, I know that shame may be lurking in a dark corner.

Being with your shame and darkness is a tremendous opportunity for healing. Witnessing your shame takes vulnerability. It’s raw. And so worth it.

You don’t need to hide and carry the belief that you’re not worthy of love and belonging. Tread lightly and gently. And let the light shine in.
Have Our Heroes become Our Villians?
By: O'Shon Fairley
Tags: Equality, Police, Community, Justice, Acceptance

Due to a series of unforeseen incidents and a string of unexplainable deaths, the panic and unrest within the community has been heavily present and strongly opposing the practices of law enforcement.

Citizens no longer feel safe or protected by the local police.

They feel like they are targeted by those that seek justice based on generalizations, and not misdeeds. they see themselves as if they are a hindrance to the world.

There’s an endless of victims killed by police brutality

On the other hand, those within law enforcement have begun to mirror that same feeling. Police are on edge when carrying out their protocol and normal procedures.

That’s largely due to the increase in officers being killed in the line of duty.

Many policemen are fearful to go work because the option id apparent that they might not make it back home.

One example would be the Mandeville Police Shooting that transpired a couple of months ago. Police were pulling over a suspicious car. A simple check turned into a deadly shootout.

Two policemen were shot. In the end, one would die from his injuries and the other was hospitalized for quite some time.

However, the aftermath split the community.

A majority of citizens agreed that the one responsible should be punished severely for their heinous crime. The others looked at it from a different perspective. With all police who have gotten off with little to no consequences for killing civilians, who punish would justify the leniency that the police have.

On December 10th, another police casualty occurred while responding to distress calls due to the ignorance which involved gunfire. The recent New Jersey Shooting only exemplifies the danger that police stress about that awaits them at work.

The number of casualties from both sides placed them in opposition to the other because of the fear of possibility. One wrong move or one careless mistake from either side can result in a life loss.

Quite frankly, a bad apple doesn’t spoil the whole bunch.

Prejudice and stereotype are two primary factors dealing with the disorientation and conflict that resides in socially divided societies in America today.
The Strange Friendship
By: Rebecca Galli
Tags: Acceptance, Friendship, Friends, Problems, Relationships

This week’s inspirational thought is a short one, but potent. Over the last several weeks, I’ve been wrestling with house issues, health issues, and some unexpected schedule changes. Nothing serious, thank goodness, but that steady stream of speed bumps had put me in a bit of a funk.

Then I stumbled upon this quote:

Make friends with the problems in your life. – Sarah Young

What??

Why on earth would I want to do that? Aren’t problems the enemy? Aren’t they the glaring “to-do” lists simply waiting to be checked off? Why would I possibly want to make them my friends?

But just as I was about to discount those words as “not applicable,” I stopped to consider the process of developing a friendship.

What is my mindset when I want to make new friends?

I am open, willing, and interested in learning about them. And, if I’m on my game, I listen more than I talk, observe their responses carefully, and probe thoughtfully with good questions. I’m steadfastly curious in my effort to get to know them.

So is there value in using that approach with problems?

Maybe.

If I approach the problem as if I am preparing for a new friendship instead of a battle, maybe I’ll relax my automatic defensive posture. Perhaps I’ll even diffuse that cloud of angst, often filled with shock, anger, and even self-pity, that distorts reality and slows my process of understanding the problem.

I can refuse to let the thought of “one more thing” overwhelm me by shortening the cycle from incident to acceptance.

I like that. It’s efficient!

Sometimes, though, the problem is not “one more thing.” Sometimes it’s a hard pivot to a new lifestyle.

Despite our best efforts, Mother Nature and Father Time persist, and we age in a way that begins to limit us. Our children grow up and out, and we’re left with empty nests that need to be filled. We transition from one stage of life to another, and Marie Kondo our way into downsizing or at least right-sizing and must let go of things we once cherished.

And there is lingering loss. The acute becomes chronic, rippling through every part of our lives.

Yes, some problems can’t be fixed; we have to learn to live with them. But perhaps we can still treat them as a friend, inviting them into relationship while welcoming the new learnings ahead.

After all, as the studies suggest, friends enrich our lives. Maybe our problems can, too.

How about you? Could the “friendship approach” to problems help you? Tell me about it. I’d love to know.

My best — always,

Becky (Nana B)

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Acceptance is Key |
By: Victoria Louise
Tags: Personal Development, Life Lessons, Personal Growth, Acceptance, Life

Acceptance that people cannot be changed, unless they are willing to change themselves.

We (I) waste so much time and energy hoping and praying for others to change their habits, behaviours, thoughts and mindset. But unless they want to do these things they never will.

So am I saying its time to give up trying… actually yes…

Accept them and love them for who they are now. It’s not going to necessarily be easy. Give them the love and support they need rather than a battle.

Acceptance is the key to your own mental well-being, health and inner support.

Acceptance to the moment, to a situation, to a person creates space for you. It give you your own power and energy back rather than getting frustrated, exhausted, angry and/or upset.

And ask yourself…

How does this situation/person reflect you?

How does it trigger you and why?

Is it a mirror for your own insecurities and annoyances?

Questions I keep asking myself every time these kind of situations play out when I am struggling to accept or understand.

Usually I find somehow it is a likeness which I wish to change within myself, other times its the fact its so different from what I wanted or hoped.

Either way it requires acceptance for you to move on, if it is a personal trait then it is something shown for you to work on yourself and then perhaps the change within you will ripple out to the others around you and if it doesn’t thats what we have to accept.

xXx
Everything Fades
By: Josh Bunch
Tags: Self Improvement, Depression, Philosophy, Stoicism, Acceptance

Everything Fades

“Everything I was and accomplished,” she said, “is dead and gone.”

Her words, not mine.

For years I’d noticed a change in her. Since cancer, since moving, since life. And it was this; whoever she was, she wasn’t anymore. And she was okay with that.

A collegiate basketball player who went on to be a successful athlete and business owner — ambitious, respected, concerned with climbing the ladder — and now this, someone I hardly recognized.

Her words struck me like I was glass, and she was a boulder. What was the last truth you heard you weren’t ready for?

Everything fades.

Everything you were disappears. Even if you don’t want it to. No matter how hard you try to hang on.

“The time is at hand when you will have forgotten everything.” Marcus Aurelius said. “And the time is at hand when all will have forgotten you. Always reflect that soon you will be no one, and nowhere.”

I fought the revelation at first. It scared me, cut me.

As I processed, the wiser she became, and the more I wondered, “why try at all?”

Then I remembered the work. And no matter what might be forgotten, I enjoy it. I like the effort. I’m addicted to the high. Even if my return is impermanent, so am I.

“We have a right to our labor,” Krishna instructs Arjuna in The Bhagavad Gita, “but not to the fruits of our labor.”

There’s immense freedom there. I wondered what starting every day from scratch would feel like.

Would my old pal anxiety interrupt as much, or at all?

Would I stress over the future, or would I pour everything into today and let the chips fall where they may.

Would I remember the past with regret, self-loathing, and bitterness, or would I appreciate the lesson learned?

Everything is temporary except work. With work comes acceptance. And acceptance is one step closer to liberation.
Poetic Musings #1: Accepting the Tough Stuff
By: Hanna Gracen
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Loneliness, Acceptance, Poetry On Medium

This poem is about acceptance. Sometimes accepting the tough stuff feels icky, wrong, like something we should avoid at all costs. In the past, one thing that was difficult for me to accept was my own loneliness. I was a lonely kid.

Too often I would find myself alone at the track meets, at camp, on our field trips to the beach. I could hear the other kids shrieking and laughing with glee, I could see the groups merging and separating, with the grace of a sand dune, nature’s finest shapeshifter.

But I was on the peripheral; as hard as I tried, I couldn’t find my way to the other kids. Even in their physical presence, I managed to lose them, quickly left to wander the lunch hour alone.

Now, as an adult who is aware of their autism, I know why I am different and with this knowledge, I’ve been able to develop relationships that work for me. I feel happy, connected, and at peace with myself. But the doubt still creeps in, sometimes the loneliness too, and I begin to question my sense of belonging. But doubt is normal, loneliness is normal, and I chose to accept these emotions.

The incredible thing is, the tough emotions, our imperfections-they don’t define us. Sometimes I question whether I belong, but you know what? I fight like a spirit clinging to an untamed wind to find my place in this world and to connect to others. Through sheer effort and intellectual will power, I feel closer to myself, my loved ones, and the heartbeat of humanity than I could have ever dreamed.

What something you’re afraid to accept for fear that it will define you?
(not a) stellar collision
Tags: Acceptance

if this, whatever this was, were a book, the prologue would be a faint brush of an arm, the kind of thing you weren’t even sure happened. and that mischievous but also mysterious smile he had for me only. well, then, one thing lead to another and i often found myself in his arms, driving around at night, unbeknownst to someone whose heart i also held dearly. i didn’t have the heart to tell him. how could i? that his friend gave back the shine my dull eyes lost, precipitated my once faded heartbeat, or that he brought back the spark my life had longed for?

but he was also, for several months and hundreds of hours, my downfall. the shine vanished once more. and the spark he brought was not enough to mask the loss i felt when he finally went away. for good, this time.

after months of longing and the upcoming years of thinking, i finally come to terms that we were a bit too close to each other. we were space objects, floating around according to our own path. and then we were space objects, but our ways intertwined. it was only a matter of time before we collided.

we weren’t stars or white dwarves, maybe that was why our collision was not loud, was not blinding. there were no supernovae like when a star dies out. nobody batted an eye, and we were the only ones who suffered. we lost fragments of ourselves to the crash, just like asteroids do.

i guess that’s all we’re gonna be to each other. a collision and a distant memory. and that’s a remarkable enough epilogue for me to remember.
Sunsets
Tags: Sunrise, Adaptability, Sunset, Hustle, Acceptance

Sunsets

I sit here staring at the endless sky redo its hue occasionally. I witness the sun breaking into the darkness bringing rays of hope along. World awakes, hustles, chasing its dream. Even the mighty sun, bound to cover the whole space from east to west since dawn to dusk, doesn’t appear to be in such a rush. As it moves steadily, it observes the drama happening down below. Day after day, doesn’t it get monotonous? Nah, it’s a new story everyday. It’s an acyclic cycle which repeats. Few rejoicing their success, few crumbling like a deck of card, but all hastening towards acquiring more, achieving more, conquering more. But at what cost? Is there an end to this vicious cycle? Gazing at the sunset, I wonder if the entire distance from east to west can be traversed in a day with such ease, ain’t our stories unworthy to rush so much? Slow down mate. Breathe. Observe the signals transmitted by universe. Be vigilant like sun. Keep an eye on things happening around. Be consistent. Proceed ahead with ease, don’t hustle. Experience life. Be the source of energy which others look upto. Not to forget the sky! It resembles the path of your journey. It happily modifies its hue in accordance with the circumstances. So should your journey! Shed tears when required, no shame in it. Be adaptive to the situation around. Anger, calmness, sorrow, joy - these are the very essential part of the journey. Learn to be the sun, unaffected by these, accepting everything with the same composure.

And yes, don’t forget to watch sunsets! They are beautiful ;)
Dancing With a Stranger
By: Ogooluwa Ajiboso
Tags: Dancing, Imperfection, Awkwardness, Insecurity, Acceptance

Dancing With a Stranger

Photo by JoelValve on Unsplash

I can’t dance to save my life and I have come to terms with that.

However, this doesn’t stop me from moving my body to the direction of the tune of a song. It doesn’t stop me from simultaneously putting two fingers up when the song gets to a climax like I actually know what I’m doing. It doesn’t stop me from loosing myself in a group dance with my favs even when I know I look ridiculous.

My body’s partial deafness to the melody of a song doesn’t render it paralysed. It just clothes it with a kind of awkwardness my mind can handle.

Dancing is a kind of art that requires your entirety. It cannot be done partially. It is either done completely or not done at all. No in-betweens.

Laughing is like dancing, only with a sound. We are never taught how to laugh. The sudden outburst of a strange sound from our vocal cords must have shocked us when we had our first shot at responding to humor. The lightness in our abdomen must have felt like heaven.

On a lot of days I miss my laughter and how it gives no warning before throwing me to the floor with my legs flapping and my palms on my abdomen. I miss how the tightening in my chest vanishes after a dosage of loud, deep and sincere laughter. I miss how nothing matters in that moment.

My best version of laughter is one that holds my tongue and steals my ability to produce coherent speech. The kind that makes no room for explanation. The kind that travels from my mouth to another’s, erupting into a symphony.

I used to think Music was my forte till I got to the university and my voice shrunk in the multitude of vocal prowess. The pitch I gloried in was a shadow of the perfection I erroneously thought I had mastered.

However, like dancing, I have come to terms with that and this garment of awkwardness has become my uniform. On days when the cold hands of life’s uncertainty threatens to freeze me to death, this garment keeps me warm. It protects me.

When life is too heavy, I can turn off my phone and pretend I’m in a concert, singing like Beyonce and dancing with a stranger.
WE’RE ALL MAD HERE!
By: Nikita Bajaj
Tags: Mental Health, Acceptance, Society

Hi people!

It’s okay to rest, stay in, need alone time, do nothing and chill. No, you are not crazy or mad for giving time to yourself. Your Mental Health needs you. You have to be there for your mental health.

But first understand What is Mental Health and why it is necessary to accept it?

It refers to your psychological and emotional well-being. Mental Health helps an individual to build their own strengths, makes them realize their own capabilities. It affects how an individual feels, thinks and act. Mental Health is not something that can be detected or it is not something common that each and every individual would understand. But each and every individual has faced some or the other mental health problem which they’ve not noticed because they are not aware about it.

Mental Health Issues as we say begins from our mind.

It is very important to know how our mental health is. If we face problems coping with stress or unwanted situations it’s high time that we should accept that we are facing Mental Health Issues. These issues can be coped up easily if the person in the first place is willing to accept and know what their problem is. Most of the people deny the fact that they can even have any sort of mental health problem. These issues are still a myth in our society. While most of us don’t understand that mental health and physical health are both related to each other.

They work hand in hand as if one gets affected the other also gets affected. The kind of pain that we face when we are mentally dealing with some problem is equally painful when we get hurt physically.

Acceptance is the key to a happy life.

The first step to deal with your mental health issues is to accept them and live with them rather than denying them because you will be judged by the society. Your dear society doesn’t care how your mental health is. What they actually care about is how you face the society. Just always keep reminding yourself “You are important”.

Until Next time, Keep loving yourself, Take Care.
Wonderful and well thought out article! Thank you!
By: Jane Stoll
Tags: Acceptance, Identity

Wonderful and well thought out article! Thank you!

I grew up in the 1950s-1970s in a very strange white Scandinavian extended family in which we were taught to accept people for who they are…that no race, sex, religion, or any other type of person (such as LGBTQ) is any better than, or deserves more rights than, anyone else. When my gay cousin came out and married her partner in the 70s, we hardly batted an eye. I was easily allowed to upset gender roles for girls by learning to farm. When my daughter came out as bi, I cheered her on. I had no problem with her dating girls. Several of my cousins married non-whites; I married a Latino. Family photos look like a UN meeting. We celebrate our differences rather than using our differences to hate each other, and this adds so much depth and richness to the tapestry of our lives that we would never give it up.

So I think it’s definitely possible for white people to go this route. Growing up, I was shocked to discover that most white families were not like ours! Accepting all people as having the same value and rights just made so much logical sense to me. I still don’t understand hating someone for their identity — it’s far too absurd.
A Valuable Gift That Costs Nothing
By: Jerry Del Colliano
Tags: Life Lessons, Appreciation, Compliments, Approval, Acceptance

The one thing everyone wants — no, craves — is approval.

All of us are always looking for approval.

Approval is the gift that keeps on giving.

Take a moment and think of the one person in your life that you admire most and you’re probably looking at someone who gives you constant approval.

The thing is to generate as much approval for others as you can while being 100% sincere. To not be sincere is to be controlling.

Find the good in everyone and tell them.

People you know and people you don’t know.

Giving approval is like that Doritos tortilla chips commercial that’s says “crunch all you want, we’ll make more”.

To feel good about doing the one thing that is guaranteed to make others feel good at no cost to you is the most valuable gift you can give.

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Living With.
By: Rev Rachel Hollander
Tags: Depression, Living With Purpose, Self Care, Acceptance, Patience

Living with depression is just that: Living WITH it.

Just like any other “chronic condition,” it is not about the suffering or the struggling or the victimization. It is about the Living with.

Waking up every day. Taking a moment to be Grateful for another chance. Assessing how much energy I have for the day. Taking a moment to stretch and breathe deeply so that oxygen can reach the parts of my body that are experiencing pain. Drinking a glass of water to hydrate myself.

And doing each little act that so many take for granted:

Brush my teeth.

Take a shower.

Eat something (even a girl scout cookie counts as breakfast on some days).

Walk my Maddie.

Living with the experience is accepting that — in this moment — it is what is happening. Denying, hiding, pretending, do not serve me. Believing that it will last forever does not serve me.

I have watched friends make fruitless attempts at trying to force the depression away. They take meds (without doing any introspective, therapeutic, or spiritual work). They eat obsessively. They drink alcohol. They go from romantic relationship to romantic relationship, creating stories of how love can save them without ever being fully invested (or honest) in — or about — those relationships.

I have watched my self retreat into isolation. I have become overwhelmingly dependent on my dog for support and comfort. I have enough girl scout cookies in my freezer to survive a zombie apocalypse. I have tried to hide from Spirit/God (as I understand It), thinking that I can “manage” this on my own.

And what it always comes back to is the question: How do I want to live?

I find that when I allow the depression to keep me in bed or hold me down or back, I am letting the depression run my life. I am letting it run me. I am letting the story of depression become my story. And I cannot do that.

I have tried to outrun it, to deny it, to pretend I am “fine.” This is unsustainable, it takes way more energy than I could ever muster. So, I cannot do that either.

One big lesson that I have learned is this: the depression needs to be heard and acknowledged. When every part of me — inside and out — is calling for quiet, begging for a nap, demanding time in my “cave,” I must honour that message. If I try and ignore it, I struggle.

To Live with is to be patient. To Listen to my self. To accept where I am at in each given moment. To forgive the moments of slippage that happen from time to time. To remain courageous in the face of what frightens me. To speak authentically about what is happening within me.

And to show up, everyday.

Grateful for another chance to stretch, breathe, and try again.
3 September 2020 — Bobbing Along on the Crest of a Wave
By: The Point Of Power Is Now
Tags: Tolerance, Bobbing Along, Crest Of The Wave, Acceptance, Patience

3 September 2020 — Bobbing Along on the Crest of a Wave

LIFE is the crest of the wave but how easy is it for us to simply bob along, to float with the tides, and take the rough with the smooth? When circumstances occur which are not to our liking we sometimes allow our ‘selves’ to sink into despair and feel very sorry for ourselves.

When we are able to ‘bob along on the crest of the wave’ we are simply ‘going with the flow’. This is NOT suggesting that we be a ‘victim’ to circumstances for seeing ourselves as being a VICTIM is merely choosing to think negatively. And once we DO start viewing ourselves in this way we will start attracting circumstance after circumstance wherein we view ourselves as being powerless and as a victim of circumstances as, of course, what we think becomes our reality.

AND when we think negatively we bring out deep seated, buried anger at all those times when we felt ourselves to be powerless and a victim of circumstances. All those times, when instead of ’bobbing along on the Crest of a Wave’ and floating with the tides we felt crest fallen, powerless and that ‘life was out to get us’.

PATIENCE, TOLERANCE and PERSEVERANCE are the inner qualities which help us be able to ‘bob along on the crest of a wave’ and, ‘to float with the tides’: instead of feeling cross and hard done by. This, together, of course, with our ability to take responsibility for creating those circumstances facing us, instead of playing the ‘blame’ game.

instead of playing the ‘blame’ game.
Being Kind, To Yourself First
Tags: Forgiveness, Life Lessons, Kindness, Acceptance, Life

Kindness is a virtue only the strong can muster to practice in all circumstances. Being kind to people in all states of mind is hard but necessary because we never know what each person is going through. Yet kindness to others can be shown only if one is kind with oneself.

Often ignored or misunderstood, being kind to yourself is not an option but an obligation for each human being. Without kindness towards self, one can never be at peace with the state of her/his existence. Acceptance of what has gone through and kindness of where one is without the shackles of anxiousness for tomorrow is the key to being at peace and harmony with one’s existence.

Being kind to self

As mentioned above, acceptance of what has been and what is the first step but being non-judgemental about the same is the necessary follow-up step to practice kindness. Accepting without judgement helps in avoiding being harsh to one’s past actions, actions one can never change but can choose to re-enact or actively avoid if it is against one’s principle.

The second step is to understand the current state one is in and adopt an attitude of self-forgiveness for what has gone by. Then the person should practice non-repetition of actions repented, form new, positive habits towards self-development and work slowly but progressively towards a better future. It will take time and it will take effort but everything will be worth it in the end.

Why being kind to self is so important?

The first and foremost reason is being in peace with the state a person one is. Being harsh on one’s past action comes easy to people, be it oneself or someone else. And this leads to anger and dissatisfaction. And overcoming it with kindness is the only way forward if one hopes to achieve tranquility with one’s existence.

The second reason is to makes progress over just existing in life. Life will present opportunities time and again across different periods. Perceiving the same to act upon requires an open mind, free of judgement and a calm mindset. And being kind is the avenue towards the same.

The third reason is to move past the failures. In life, failure is a frequent friend while success is a well-wisher. Being able to overcome failure while learning from the same is necessary but at the face of it, many people succumb to the negative emotions associated. The antidote to this is being kind with one’s past actions and working with tranquility towards the future, one step at a time.

Life goes on no matter what. It is upto you what you make of it despite all the circumstances. And being kind to oneself is the first step towards a better life.

Thank you for your time.

See you tomorrow!!!

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Lessons Learnt From Netbanking
By: Tushita Bandelu
Tags: Technology, Life Lessons, Netbanking, Humour, Acceptance

A few years ago, I’d started paying bills online but somehow they’d be pending for many days and not only did I have to pay fines but I’d also lose my temper, get frustrated, and at times tear my hair in despair. I’ll tell you why.

I’d sit down to do the transaction. I’d open the website and there’d be some problem with the network. Next time the website would be fine but there’d be an issue with their servers and my billing information could not be accessed. When that would be accessed, the payment gateway would refuse to open. Finally when the payment gateway would open and I’d successfully type in the required credentials, you guessed right, the transaction would time out and I’d have to try again. There were also moments when I tapped or clicked something an extra time and was directed to some other totally irrelevant page. Man, it was frustrating! And my mum would wonder why I could not do such a simple thing as paying bills on time, that too from the comfort of my home. Well, what to tell her!

This negativity, this feeling of helplessness would be carried on all day. And I didn’t like it one bit. Then I started to apply the great quotes and suggestions I’d been reading. I decided to accept technology as it is and instead change my response to it. So when the website didn’t open, or the internet was slow, I accepted it as it was, and instead of fretting and fuming about it, I took a moment to do some neck exercises and stretches. Then, while doing the transaction, I made it a practice to take a deep breath before every tap or click. That ensured that I didn’t over tap or over click anything. If the server had issues or the payment didn’t go through, I simply closed the page, played one of my favourite songs and danced to it. Instant mood lifter. Then with a positive frame of mind and a smile on my face, I tried the transaction again.

Life’s like that. Sometimes circumstances won’t change no matter how hard we pray or try. So why spoil our mood, why tear our hair in despair? Let’s take a deep breath, do some exercise, dance to our favourite song and get the work done!