I'm glad to see you all are benefiting from the article. I don't think any of us would have a hard time finding an example in a friend or relative where you can clearly see that their NON-acceptance of a situation has kept them stuck in a bad situation.
The example that comes to my mind immediately is my cousin who I love very much. We have been the best of friends our entire lives. 12 years ago her husband had an affair and asked for a divorce. They had 2 little kids at the time..like 4 and 6. He ended up marrying his mistress as well. My cousin is literally wallowing in bitterness to this day. If I'm speaking on the phone with her the conversation always --100% of the time--will turn to "the a$$****". She relates every hardship that comes her way back to him somehow. She is totally enmeshed with him to this day, though in ONLY a negative way. This of course trickles down to the kids who are stuck in the middle. She is miserable in numerous ways and her life is so messed up all because she has refused to let this go and just move the hell on. She has chosen to stay miserable. She chooses that rather than choosing to accept it. I've talked to her about this until I'm blue in the face...she nods her head in agreement then the next hour she's right back where she started. That is a classic example.
I had a crash lesson in acceptance when my son chose to do drugs rather than go to college. I had to accept that the only way to help him was to kick him out of the house. I had to accept that if I did that, he could end up homeless, sick or even dead. I had to accept that my precious son might die. I got there, too. I had no choice, really....not if I wanted him to get better.
I don't have to tell you that was the toughest lesson I ever had to learn.
I now understand this concept very clearly and tough decisions are much easier to make when you take out all the "what if's" of a situation!! See it for what it is...take it...or leave it. Move on.
Wow. Now that is power.