Acceptance

We often think of everyone we meet and interact with as being very similar to ourselves. We will most readily assign motivations to others that come from us, from our own understanding of the world. When these assumptions clash with the reality of the other person, we may become distressed and angry. Acceptance is the cushion designed to lessen this blow, softening the shock of misinterpretation that we experience. One must certainly be able to understand and accept others in order to interact on a daily basis with the rest of humanity. This allows us to maintain relations in the face of disagreements. It is all too easy to jump to conclusions without really knowing who the other person is or their motivations. It is vital to let others be as they are and do as they will, and be able to expect that in return. This is a concept that is obviously important, and has actually gotten a lot of attention in regards to dealing with others, but is of vital importance within ourselves as well. We cannot do less for ourselves in this instance. For ourselves, we need to understand our own motivations and decisions and then be able to accept them, even if they run contrary to how we think of ourselves. It should not matter as much to us if we become disappointed in ourselves through errors. The best we can hope for is to understand the mistake and prevent a repetition in the future. The biggest acceptance one can make is of the Truth, no matter what that Truth is, and with all things these efforts begin within ourselves.