Radical Gratefulness and Acceptance in the Face of Adversity

For the most part when a person steps on to a spiritual path, path of enlightenment, awareness, spirituality, whatever you want to call it, it is because they have come to an understanding that the way they have been doing life is not working and has not been working. There is this moment where you realize there is only one choice, and that is to stay in place unhappy or try something completely different. The question then is where to begin. Everybody's path looks different, there are no hard and fast rules to it, and mostly you just have to go out there on an adventure to discover what it is that you personally need to learn and grow. On a side note, this is The Fool's Journey in Tarot if any one is interested. That being said, there are an uncountable amount of suggestions, advice, and anecdotes to lead you on your way. When I am talking to people that are ready for this adventure and looking for some direction I like to start by suggesting a practice of being grateful. Practice being grateful. Start when you wake up in the morning. For many of us that time in the morning when you regain consciousness and the understanding that you have to go face another day yet again can be sad and painful. But  we can stop, take a couple minutes, and list the things we are grateful for. Start in your comfort zone, “I am grateful for my pillow, I am grateful that I can spend fifty dollars on a pillow that helps me sleep well. I am grateful for my big comfy blankie and my soft bed. I am grateful for the roof over my head and the fact that I live in a quiet, safe place so I didn't have to worry all night.” And on like this. Start where you can, and do it daily. Like any montra, after talking to yourself this way for days, weeks, months, you'll start to notice that it makes you feel good and that starting your day is just that much easier because you get to wake up and thank the universe for the things you have. At the same time you will grow an understanding and appreciation for what you do have instead of being up set about what you don't have. And there you are, starting to broaden your awareness, change your thought process, and connect with your chosen divinity or source of life. I'll let you in on a little secret, your chosen source of life, spirit guides, angels, what have you, LOVE being talked to and thought about. So in this way, with this one simple practice you are already starting the journey in leaps and bounds, even if it doesn't seem like it.

This same exercise can be done with acceptance. “I accept that things in the world seem kind of terrible right now, I accept that that person seems to have a problem with me for no reason, I accept the place I am at right now even if I don't like it.” Don't forget the big one, “I accept myself and all my perfect flaws.”  But don't worry if it is not at your comfort level at this point, it may be a little more advanced and has an association with Surrender, and oh boy, she is a doozy. Baby steps, baby steps. 

Ok, so! Let's talk about doing these things RADICALLY. What does that mean? Our definition of radical tends to be someone or something that is over the top, too much, or going against the established grain. Well, yah. That's exactly what we want to practice here. And I feel that now more than ever people need to hear this message to help deal with all the stuff. 

Gratefulness and acceptance radically happens when you don't feel like you have anything to be grateful for, and the thing you are experiencing is so terrible you couldn't imagine a way to deal with it. When you're feeling so low, or so bad, or so scared, that you feel defeated and in despair. Do you give up, or do you take the last of your strength and say “Ok yes, I feel rudderless and lost. This thing looks so bad I don't think I will ever survive it. But I'm going to choose to be radically grateful in the face of all this diversity and pain, even though I don't feel like I have anything to be grateful for. And I'm going to radically accept this situation, even though it is the worst thing I could imagine” 

So in a world that looks so scary and uncontrollable we can decide to say “I am radically accepting these things that are happening, no matter what happens. And I am radically grateful that I have what I have and the people I have.” I don't want to get too deep into all the facets of this in a spiritual practice because they are deep and endless. But I will say that even if it seems counter intuitive, making this choice and saying out loud “I will be radically grateful and accepting in this situation.” takes the weight of sorrow off of your chest, and helps you see things from a different perspective.