Radical Acceptance- And letting go.

What if we could radically accept ourselves exactly as we are? We do this with nature! And mothers do this with their children quite often. I recently found a parallel to help explain why doing this makes so much sense…

It’s this past weekend. I am going into the ocean, (in May, in California) and the water is cold. The brain tells me: Leave your body, it’s too cold. I will protect you. But I decide to tune into my body first, and I realize instantly the answer isn’t to escape what is happening, the answer is to be fully aware and feel with all my senses. I close my eyes and go all the way back into my body, down into my feet.

Let’s feel the next wave, I say to my body (and mind lol). Let’s see how it feels. Without judging. The wave comes in. I feel the wonderful cold sensation as the water wraps around me, and my whole body enjoys feeling the full energy and power of the water flowing around and through me. It is a sensation of love, connection, pleasure in the experience.

I have accepted the wave, the ocean, and let go of any preconceptions about how it will or how it should feel. I am not wanting it to be warmer, softer, slower. I am completely accepting and experiencing what is without labeling. It feels incredible and free and peaceful all at once. That is where the bliss comes. Letting go and acceptance.

We can do the same thing with ourselves. And once self-acceptance and love truly comes, we can more easily do this with others.

You are like the ocean- magical, vulnerable- a divine being. Where can you let go of wanting to change things about yourself? What is something you can begin to accept and love for exactly what it is?

*Photo of a me in a much warmer place taken by Clarity Alexandra