ACCEPTANCE

In a world driven by higher, faster, further,
there is hardly any space for phases of stagnation or setbacks.
And yet, they are part of it.

Two steps forward, one step back.
That is how life moves.

No tree grows endlessly.
There is a reason we have autumn and winter.

Why we often feel dissatisfied anyway

Many of us live in safety.
In prosperity.
With opportunities previous generations never had.

And yet, it doesn’t always feel like more.

Sometimes I wonder why, especially in places
where people live comfortable and largely carefree lives
by objective standards,
suffering still feels so present in everyday life.

In our world, we are shaped by high expectations.
Everything is supposed to go “right.”
We have expectations – of others and of ourselves.

The result: frustration.
Dissatisfaction.
Inner resistance.

A different way of relating to what is

I remember my time in the Philippines,
when I worked closely with locals in a small, remote island resort.

The receptionist and I grew close.
She was curious about my world – and I about hers.

One day, she asked me why Europeans smile so little
and often seem sad – even on vacation.

I asked her if she smiles when she’s in a bad mood.
She said no.

I replied:
“But you always smile.
Are you never in a bad mood?”

She answered:
“Why would I be?”

I said, “For example, when you don’t feel like working.”
She replied, “But I like my job.”

So simple. So clear.

I often felt that people with very little
can still be deeply content and happy.
Maybe because they live more in acceptance.

Whether there are many guests or few.
Rainy season or high season.
Whether the weekly supply ship from Manila arrives – or not.

It is what it is.
And then they deal with it.

Without the expectation
that everything has to be perfect.

A question worth asking

Is it possible
that our comfort has reduced our tolerance
for discomfort?

Have we become so used to everything being available instantly,
to problems being solved immediately?

Have we perhaps unlearned
how to consciously face resistance,
because we tend to escape into distraction right away?

Have we forgotten how to accept it
and act clearly from that acceptance?

The turning point: resistance or acceptance

What if we stopped seeing difficult phases
as disturbances,
and instead saw them as part of a process
that shapes us?

Life places obstacles in our path. For all of us.

And this is where a choice arises:
resistance – or acceptance.

Energy follows your attitude

Resistance drains our energy.
Exactly the energy
we need to create change.

Acceptance, on the other hand, frees energy.

It doesn’t say everything is good.
It simply says:

It is what it is.
And now I take responsibility
and choose what I make of it.

When we stop
fighting life,
space opens up.

Space for clarity.
Space for action.

And this is where growth begins.

Why it feels so difficult

Perhaps, because we have so many ways
to avoid discomfort,
we are also losing the ability to deal with it.

We don’t become weaker because of problems –
but because of constant avoidance.

We distract ourselves
instead of facing what is.

Everything we push away
returns with greater force –
like a pendulum we try to hold back.

And so, our tolerance for frustration decreases.
Even small things throw us off balance.

Honesty and presence

Maybe acceptance begins right here:
in the present moment.

Not in running away.
But in honest awareness.

Honesty means staying.
With what is.

And this is where responsibility arises.

Not for everything that happens.
But for what you make of it.

Maybe this is the way back:
out of the comfort zone.
Back into reality.

More presence.
Less struggle.
Less suffering.

Luma – it begins in you.

Mini practice
Notice the small things in everyday life that bother you.
A traffic jam, a minor injustice, the weather, a comment…
Pause for a moment.
Take one conscious breath in and out.
And say to yourself:
“It is as it is.”
Nothing more.

Reflection
Where in your life are you still fighting something
you could already accept?