Acceptance

"Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery", a statement quoted by J.K. Rowling in her famous fictional series 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'. 

Acceptance is an innate behavior. It makes a difference in our lives-provided it is developed voluntarily. It allows us to look at the bigger picture in any situation. For example, the results for the 12th board exams were out a few days back. The best choice for a student at this age is to accept his grades and make a good decision for his further life. Denis Waitley, a famous American motivational speaker once said, "There are two primary choices in life: to accept the conditions as they exist or to accept the responsibility for changing them." Hence instead of whining about receiving lower grades, one should strive hard to score more in the future. 

Acceptance is affiliated not only with defeat but also with the victory. We all love being under the limelight, don't we? But there are many ways of accepting glory. Firstly, the achievement should not introduce negative traits such as pride, greed, and reluctance within us. And secondly, we must accept appreciation very humbly without bragging. 

As a parent, accepting the changes in the behavior of their child right from his teenage until his marriage is immensely challenging.

No matter how efficiently they pretend to be okay with the changes, they undergo a strong disagreement within themselves. While some parents accept these changes with ease, some spend their entire lives struggling through it. 

Consequently, have we ever thought about the condition of the parents of a special child? These children along with their parents fall prey to prejudice as well as stereotyping since the beginning of their journey of acceptance. 

However, people like Nick Vujicic, face all the odds and make their mark on the world. Despite being limbless, he wrote many inspiring books such as 'Limitless', 'Life without Limits', and 'Stand Strong' etc. In one of his Ted Talks, he said, "It was because of the love, acceptance, and affection of my parents that I sustained the hardest times of  life." Conclusively, acceptance plays an important role in the continuation of a contentful life. 

Acceptance is a crucial element of not only survival but also relationships. Whether the relationship is between a father and his son/daughter, or a mother and her son/daughter, two friends, two partners, or even two professionals, acceptance plays a great role in the smooth working of the aforementioned relations. Generally, people recognize the flaws and strengths of each other through communication. Accepting these weaknesses without undermining the strengths of each other lays a strong foundation for any relationship. 

Individually, we all maintain a certain set of beliefs of our own. Unlike atheists, many individuals believe in the existence of the Almighty. While living in a democratic country we should accept these varying perspectives and hence lead a harmonious life altogether.