Table of contents for The Practice of Having an Open Mind
- Power of Mantra
- Listening Experiment
- Accept Everything
- Just Live it
- Jonestown Kool Aid and Grandpa’s Trash Bins
- Try Being Humble, Really Humble
- Embracing Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy
- Success by Yellow Pad
- Prepare to Meet the Villain
- Paradigm Shifts and Ordinary Enlightenment
- Stop, Look, and Support
- The Practice of Empathy
Below is yet another post about having an open mind:
I had a professor of a writing class in college who told us she knew a famous actress. I would tell you who if I could recall but at the time I didn’t know them since they were a very old actress and the name didn’t imprint in my memory as a result. At any rate, this professor of mine, who was getting to the retiring age herself, mentioned to us that the woman had such grace and elegance in the way she ran her affairs. My teacher took care of her library for her and cleaned the house a bit while in college which was nearby. Because I really respected this teacher as a confident writer, I was all ears when she told this story. One day she asked the woman how she lived with such grace, happiness, and success and was now aging the same way and the woman said this simple mantra:
Accept everything.
Let’s look at that wisdom three ways. It could mean:
- Don’t shut any person or idea out. Let it run completely through your mind and stand or fall on it’s own merits. This is a tough one to universalize. It is more like an inner mantra that can’t be directly applied to some concrete issues. Still, I like the idea of accepting everything in this respect.
- Don’t be too good for any offer that comes your way. When you get work accept it. If you get a job for $8 do it like it was a job for 80K. I really like this idea.
- And finally, be gracious. This is by far the best way I can think of to interpret it.
We had to write something on those 2 words when she shared them and I don’t have the paper I wrote at the time. I do carry them with me and I say them often. She was Canadian, I’m starting to think they know something we don’t up there.I’d like to know what they mean to you, any takers? Don’t be shy, just throw one out there.
While I’m on the subject of acceptance: If you are not content to accept your weight, a good resource may be weight loss pills. Thanks for your support of Postcards from the Funny Farm.
Hi. I'm Damien Riley, MA.
12 Comments
Hi Damien,
Acceptance is a powerful idea. For instance I use the idea in conjunction with memory and seeming other people.
I do this to help myself to accept things as they are. I can tell myself that I remember you. I have a memory of you, in fact you are my memory, whatever it may be. That way I accept you back into my mind, and don’t have to conflict with you.
I guess I can only accept something I know, something which is inherently mine. Something alien I could never know. How could I accept it? I don’t see how. The idea of acceptance requires rejection first. God certainly doesn’t accept me. He knows and loves me. And He did not change His mind about me.
To accept one’s emotions is not so easy. At least not for me, as long as I am not really willing to feel whatever may be going on in me, and just let it be. But acceptance opens up the space where change occurs. I love it.
When I accept you (again), I can say, I know you (again). That is what love is, I guess.
Cheers,
Alban
A Course In Miracless last blog post..The Bible and A Course In Miracles
Hmmm….this is very though provoking for me because “accept everything” sounds really good but a) can anyone really do that? and b) does anyone really want to do that all the time? and c) Nothing would ever change in a positive direction if we just “accepted everything”.
Maybe accept the idea or the concept, but that doesn’t mean that you should accept the idea that you have no control over the outcome or shouldn’t do something about a situation.
I’m going to say that while that might work for some people, accepting everything is not something that most people are capable or should be doing. Maybe I’m looking at it incorrectly.
Jessica The Rock Chis last blog post..I Won’t Crap Out
@Alban: Wow, a lot there … all good. Thanks for stopping by. I’m living proof of a course in miracles ;) I’ll try and stop by your blog some more my friend.
@Jessica: I liked the general sound of it and applied my own meaning. It it limits you, disregard … kind of thing. ;) Thanks for your comment.
I decided to start accepting everything several years ago. It’s not something that comes naturally and even now once in awhile I need to make a conscious effort to do it :)
But I think if you accept that life “is what it is” you can let go of it and focus your energy in a more positive outlet elsewhere.
This is some really good advice. I try to do this. Even if my initial reaction is to reject an idea, I try to let it flow through me and see if it’s something I can actually see the other side of.
Gabriel - Gadfly Revolutions last blog post..You Think You Can Choose God Like You Choose a Pai...
Thank you for the reminder about acceptance. It’s sometimes difficult to keep this in mind during a hectic day when my patience is running short, but I agree that the practice of acceptance is definitely something that can improve the quality of my life.
I am not so sure about accepting everything as an answer. Because not everything is acceptable. Sometimes we have to figure that out for ourselves tho! Very good post! Causes something to think about! :)
@Gabriel - Gadfly Revolution: The word “everything” is the stinger. But I really do try and do it.
@Zentastic: Thanks for saying that. Acceptance of those around us as well as circumstances is really hard.
@K. Fields: I had that initial trouble but now, like ten years later after hearing that advice, I feel like I can’t lose by following it.
Great post. I really like your advice of accepting what comes to us.
I have pharmacy tech experience and IT experience (with an IT degree) & when I couldn’t find an IT job, I turned to pharmacy. After an almost 6 month layoff, I’m going to treat my pharmacy job like it’s an $80K job and really appreciate those who hired me.
I’ve had friends & family who really want me to cash in from my degree in IT & have questioned why I’m going to work at the pharmacy. To me it’s about more than the money.
Brian
Mongo22s last blog post..20 Amazingly Free Blogger Templates
@Mongo22: Thanks for commenting Brian. This is my favorite post of the year. It got a lot of visits and I really believe in the message. Some people have a hard time with the title “Accept Everything” but the more I process it and go through life the more I think it’s the best advice there is.
You should have the job that pays your bills and makes you most happy. Personally I would go insane as a pharmacist, teaching fits me though while it might drive you nuts so to each his own!
Hope to talk more in 2009!
Damien,
I love your second point.
The way in which we handle ourselves in humble situations, such as low paying or low status jobs, shows a lot in my view about our character, and whether we can be trusted or relied upon in a higher paying or higher ranking position.
Andrews last blog post..Heads should not necessarily role - this time
@Andrew: Yes. And may we accept the high paying ones just as thankfully as the low ones!
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