OH SHI- 04: Accept What Is – And Be Happy!

The purpose of the Overly Helpful Self Help Initiative (OH SHI) series is to help individuals discover their inner selves and spark a new sense of purpose in life. The articles posted here are not written by Marvs, and the author's name and contact will be indicated in the article.

By Karl Moore

"Happiness is a function of accepting what is." - Werner Erhard

How many of us fight against what is happening in our lives?

In our family? In society? In the world around us?

You get fined for parking illegally. We've all done it at some point or another. You've checked it out, you were wrong, and there's little you can do about it.

Do you just shrug it off, accept what is, and continue happily with your day?

Or, more realistically, do you moan about it for the next three days - sharing your woes with everyone you meet? Do you let it put you in a bad mood? Anger you? Taint your day?

If you're like most people, you do the latter.

And that's just a simple example.

You might be fighting against the way your teenage son's quest for freedom. Or society's uncomfortable take on your sexuality. Or the way you look.

Or, quite simply, you might generally be fighting against the cards life has dealt you.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't take action to change the world around you. With discussion, or protests, or dieting.

But does all of that pent-up anger and resentment really serve anything?

Rather than fighting it internally, wouldn't it be much better just to accept what is first - and then change what you want, if you still want to?

The world is a rough place. Sometimes things can get pretty crappy. Make no mistake. And when it rains, it pours. And the people that live here? A lot of them are pretty foolish. So, I'm on your side here. You're right.

But it's pointless holding onto emotions that are holding you back.

By not accepting (or welcoming, or embracing, or whatever other word you may prefer) what is, you are pushing against what exists right now. That causes tension, which results in stress, limitation, and a lack of clarity.

By accepting, welcoming, embracing what is, you clear all of your emotions. Your thoughts become clearer. You become happier. You experience more freedom.

If you can change things, after accepting them, you'll have a sharper mind and more energy to do so. If you can't change things, or if you're trying to change other people, stop immediately - realize that you simply can't, and move onto something else.

Pointless worrying - there's nothing you can do about it. Shrug, that's life, smile.

Just accept what is - and you will be happy.