Saturday, October 1, 2016

Reach for the stars but…..



The wise tell us that much of our problems are due to wishing things to be different from the way they are, including many times our own selves. Acceptance is a powerful concept – if we avoid resisting the natural order and the inevitable, we save ourselves much pain.

I have, however, found it enlightening to delve deeper into the concept, especially so as to be able to apply it in practical terms in every day life situations. This is worthwhile since acceptance brings up questions around – whether it means a state of inaction without attempting to improve or change frustrating situations. The confusion arises considering that some have associated phrases such as “everything is perfect as is” with acceptance.

Acceptance, to me, is simply aligning to the natural order of the universe. This means accepting cycles of pain & pleasure, accepting diversity but experiencing oneness at the same time, recognizing the overwhelming power of love & compassion, indulging in the joy of sharing, and looking at everything with a childlike curiosity and freshness.

The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.

- Joseph Campbell

Not everything is perfect – many situations clearly are not. Acceptance does not mean we resist the urge for action to improve life situations or aspire to reach somewhere better. It is important that we link actions to a higher purpose rather than to gain personal rewards. Activity which extends to a sphere beyond our realm and benefits others is very fulfilling.

The curiosity to know about ourselves and the universe has led to dramatic progress in space science. This is a good analogy for acceptance – it is not that we are unhappy standing on the ground, but we find purpose and fulfillment in reaching for the stars. Interestingly, possibly in a decade, we humans may step into another planet - Mars. Those who do that I am sure, will still value Earth.



Reach for the stars, but be grateful for the ground beneath your feet…..

(Images from pixabay.com)

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for your comment, Priyanka. It has been good to follow your blogs as well.

    ReplyDelete