Acceptance is like building a muscle. Life is filled with moments that we can't plan or change, and many of them create resistance and tension. Many times, we can't control these moments. They can be frustrating. They may be destabilizing. When they occur, we feel weakness in our foundation, and when we can’t control them, the tension tightens, and we grow tired and often feel defeated.

But when we learn to accept the unexpected, even when faced with trials that we don't like or want to confront, we mature and grow as individuals, and that makes us stronger.

Ultimately, acceptance comes down to honing our ability to live with ourselves — weaknesses, foibles, and all. When you accept yourself for who you are and where you are on your journey in life, and when you accept others for who and where they are, you refine your sense of judgment. Really, you develop the wisdom to know whether your judgment will serve you and those around you or create more harm and strife.

Acceptance is a skill. It is learned over time. You are not going to wake up one day and be totally competent in your ability to live in a constant state of acceptance. You will have to work on it. It will be hard at first. You will stumble and fall along the way, and this will create new and different types of conflict and tension.

That’s OK. Life is always a challenging proposition. When we are created, we have unlimited potential planted within us. We have to decide whether we will nurture and cultivate it. To grow into our potential, we must become aware of what purpose our unique gifts and abilities serve.

When we accept our purpose — even when our talents are unconventional or our gifts are difficult to manage — we make it easier to embrace what is immutable about ourselves and we begin to learn and to love unconditionally. Love without judgment comes from flexing our acceptance muscle. The outcome is peace in our hearts, in our homes, and in the world.

Want to learn more about the keys to developing awareness? Grab my book Better Than You Think on Amazon. Check out more about it on my website Robcommodariauthor.com.