Just give it up already!
Art of Acceptance in Communication
How many times do you find yourself in a mindless battle with another person? You’re having a discussion with somebody and it seems like you are not able to get through to them. They just keep disagreeing with you. At this point, you feel as if you’re banging your head against the wall. QUIT BEING STUBBORN AND GIVE IT UP ALREADY!!
They are not going to budge. Why does it matter who’s right or wrong? You do it your way and they will continue to do it theirs. We don’t have to agree with each other but we also don’t need to get into a scuffle about it either.
Just give it up already. What’s right for you might not be right for someone else. Everyone is perfectly placed where they are. What I have learned is that you have to accept people for who they are. For example, when you deal with children, you tend to accept their actions and extend your level of patience.
So the next time you find yourself debating with someone, take a breath and step back as you would with a child. This will allow you to practice acceptance and mindfulness. The reality is we all have had different life experiences.
Just be [o p e n]
Listening to an opposing view will not only bring you to new heights of understanding, but give you an opportunity to create a better or new relationship with that person.
Have you ever had a relationship spark when you allowed yourself to be open?
If you like growth and would like to expand your levels of communication, this can be your first step. You can learn to start appreciating opposing views by responding with phrases like:
- That’s interesting.
- Hmm, I never thought of it that way.
- Thank you, I didn’t know that.
It’s simple, subtle and is the beginning of the art of acceptance.
Acceptance is a practice of letting go which can be applied in all aspects of your life. But for today, this will be our tactic and is about applying acceptance to people. We all have interactions with others both directly and indirectly. This also includes the people we see on the news, social media and television…which means practically everywhere.
Part one, lesson one, shut up and be humble. It’s simple, acceptance = shut our big mouths and bite down that flapping tongue. That’s it! Keep your opinions to yourself and remember those phrases I mentioned earlier.
Don’t let stress in
I didn’t realize that even the littlest disagreements were a form of judgement with others. They are a way to invite stress into my life even when that person isn’t in front of me. That’s why I mentioned the news and social media because that too is an open invitation to welcome stress and anxiety. For me, I don’t like stress so I do my best to not bring any of it into my life since I do have a choice.
So, what is this all for anyways?
This brings me to our Daily Tactic of “letting go.” It is a practice I do daily. When I feel a little resistance arise within me and feel an itch to comment on something, this is where I programmed the little chimes to go off in my head and say, “take a little breath and give it up already. Just listen.” If you need to open your mouth, just stick with those phrases I said above.
Here’s the reality. You are just going to have to accept the person in front of you for who they are regardless of their thoughts and beliefs. Trying to control anything other than yourself would be an endless war. The next time you find yourself about to open your mouth in response to an opinion, open up your mind instead. Let go of your beliefs, judgements, emotions and accept people “as is.” You may learn a new fun fact or not. Regardless, take this as an opportunity to begin mastering your art of acceptance in communication and open yourself up to different perspectives.
As always, thank you for reading my ramblings and I wish you an amazing life.
Nick
