Acceptance versus action
Star Anise
We often hear of the importance of surrender and acceptance.
Yes surrender and acceptance are essential at times.
However, there are times when inspired action is what we are called to do.
Acceptance must not stop us from stepping into the unknown or from pursuing our dreams or righting wrongs. Do not use acceptance as an excuse or cloak for your fear or as a shield for your apathy.
The moment we refuse the challenge or fail to act in our best interests is the moment that we stop truly living.
The Serenity Prayer highlights that there are times to accept and times to act:
“God grant me the serenity to
accept the things I can’t change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”
I had a recent experience of these crossroads when a connecting international flight was cancelled. The ground staff at Bangkok airport advised us to stay overnight at the airport hotel and take the connecting flight the next day meaning that I would arrive at my work retreat a day late missing out on an important day.
At first, I accepted what I had been told and surrendered to staying overnight at the airport hotel and missing out on an important day. However, within moments the fire inside me inspired me to NOT accept that outcome and to pivot onto a different path: to find an alternative airline so as to not arrive a day late.
Similarly, when we are wronged by someone (eg financially, emotionally or physically) we can surrender and walk away or perhaps the best course is to take appropriate (e.g.legal) action to recoup our losses or to bring the wrongdoer to justice.
We have all been faced with the crossroads of acceptance or action at various points in our life. In fact, I would go so far as to say that at almost every moment of every day, we are navigating a fork in the road of acceptance versus action. Do we accept what is presented to us or do we stand up and say “No, that doesn’t sit right with me. I’m going to take an alternative path”.
At a spiritual level taking inspired action doesn’t mean that you’re refusing to accept the current situation. You’re accepting what has happened but you’re simply refusing to do nothing about it.
You are always accepting the current situation (yes the flight is cancelled, yes I didn’t get the job offer/ promotion, yes I didn’t get into that uni course, yes I had a car accident, yes I lost money in a poor investment, yes he cheated on me, yes he stole from me etc) but you're taking inspired action by pivoting onto a different path to fulfil your ultimate outcome or desire (I’ll catch a different flight, I’ll apply for another job, I’ll do a bridging course or apply to a different uni, I’ll get the car fixed and drive more carefully, I’ll take legal action to see if my funds are recoverable, I’ll leave the relationship to find someone more aligned, I’ll set firmer boundaries with money, I’ll bring the person to justice etc).
The more we can tap into our initiation (or spirit or consciousness or truth - whatever word resonates with you), the more we can be guided as to whether inspired action is the appropriate path to take in any given situation.
