One of the hardest demons to face internally is acceptance. It's something that can come only from within yourself and can be so painful to come to terms with. In life we're constantly experiencing change, pain, loss, love, excitement and so many other emotions. While we may handle the obstacles that come our way and we may move on, truly accepting what has happened and freeing ourselves from regret or remorse is a completely different battle in and of itself.
However, I won't be talking about accepting the things which do happen to us, but rather the things which don't. Sometimes the most painful experiences are the ones which never occur; The feelings that hurt the most are the ones that you want so badly to feel but never do.
This is something everyone faces at one point or another: Wanting the guy you like to like you back. Wishing your parents would be nicer to you, or be there for you at all. Giving love to your partner and wishing that it would be reciprocated. Rejection and lack of love happen constantly yet every time hurts just as much.
I think the reason behind this is that as people we always want reassurance. Whether you have all the confidence in the world or usually need to be lifted up by others, there will always be a small part of you that wants to feel loved and appreciated. It's nice.
So what do you do when you're feeling down about yourself with no one to lean on or look to for comfort? When the person you want to lean on doesn't feel the same and you've finally realized it's time to find love within yourself? You learn to accept it.
While acceptance is hard it is absolutely possible. It's important to find comfort in yourself, and learn to be okay with having yourself as your only company at times. While it's easy to hold onto anger, regret, and sadness- it is no way to live.
Acceptance can be a slow journey, but you will get there. You must take things one day at a time; Spend time with yourself. Think about the way you feel towards yourself and what has happened to you, and decide how much you want it to effect you.
I personally think that one of the most important factors in accepting the love that you don't receive is realizing that it's not always your fault. It usually is not. Sometimes it is no ones fault at all. You never truly know what is going on inside someone else's head and they may just have too many of their own personal conflicts to be able to show you the love and care that you deserve. That is okay.
You will also need to forgive those people for what they have not given you, because you can never accept what has happened until you have also released all of the hurt and anger that is inside of you. Remember— all the love you need is inside of you. You just need time to discover and nurture it.
Ultimately, you need to trust yourself and the journey that life is taking you on. You cannot change the past, you cannot predict what the future will bring, you can only control the way you feel and act in the present. Sometimes life will throw things your way and you will have to do your best to accept them- It is the only way to find peace and happiness in the coming days. Whatever is meant to be, will be. So accept the things that cannot be changed and let your spirit be free.
