The end of struggle...
The end of struggle…
I struggle with my weight, accepting my body, not being more emotionally resilient, money, my self worth…the list goes on.
For years I have believed that struggling was a choice. And yet, I still found myself deep in the struggle of struggling. Recently I realized that all the things I struggle with are things I believe should be different. I should weigh less. I should be prettier. I should be further along in a career (or have one!). I should be in control of my emotions rather than letting others around me dictate how I show up. I should be “further along”, etc. My judgments, expectations, and a belief that I should be somewhere other than where I’m at (which isn’t helpful since I am, in fact, exactly where I’m at!) have created struggle. What if there was another way?
What if I chose to accept and love all that is? What if I accepted where I was right now? My weight, my career, all of it? Is it possible the struggle would end? That is the practice I’m currently in. Now, don’t get me wrong- I still step into resistance. A lot. And I’m practicing accepting the fact that I forget to choose acceptance over and over. I’m practicing to love the part of me who is used to looking for what is wrong, especially in myself, in a twisted way of protecting myself.
The funny thing is when I breathe and accept rather than be angry at what is, things generally turn out okay. I end up just barely being on time. An answer comes in the craziest way. What I’ve found is that resistance really just makes me suffer longer. If I’m late for work I will be upset and suffer, and if I am in resistance to being late for work the entire way there, I suffer the entire time. Not only that, when we’re in fight or flight, the prefrontal cortex of our brain gets less blood to it, impeding our ability to think clearly, so I’m even more likely to make poor decisions that will make me even more late.
So today I throw out the challenge to practice acceptance, no matter what shows up. Late for work and it seems like all the cars on the road are trying to block your way? Breathe and accept that’s where you’re at. And if you forget and choose struggle and resistance? Accept that, give yourself a little love, and choose again.
You up for the challenge? I double dog dare you!
Much love,
Jules
