The Law of Acceptance (or Gratitude)

The Law of Acceptance is about action, gratitude and faith. This law states that delivery of that which is to become manifest, comes only to those who are in a state of acceptance.

Acceptance is the opposite of resistance. Anger, sadness, disappointment, shame, guilt, envy, and resentment are all human emotions that we all feel from time to time. However, at the root of each of these is resistance to what is.

I used to hate it when people would say “It’s all good.” I would want to say, “No, not everything is good.” These days, I still don’t say it, but honestly, I silently think it.

Here’s the deal. Everything is of one thing, right? Everything is of the original thing, energy. To the eternal source of all things, no harm can come, right? So, from the perspective of the eternal, it’s all good, isn’t it? Whatever works, or doesn’t work, will come to the end of its cycle and then there will be new configurations, new possibilities, and new realities. So, it’s all good.

Since we are of this same eternal source, of which all things are made possible, to resist anything, is resistance of our essence. If we are resisting anything, we are resisting all things, including ourselves and that which we intend. In order to manifest with ease, you must harmonize with the reality before you.

When you experience obstacles, or things that are unpleasant, be grateful. I know it isn’t easy, but do it anyway. You are being blessed with the gift of contrast. If all things appeared the same, there would be little benefit in choosing anything. When you are faced with situations that you don’t like, the universe is providing you with opportunity to be grateful for the things that you do like. So, be grateful for what you do not like, they are reminders of all the blessings laid before you.

And, when you become grateful for these things that you do not like, build your faith that things you do like are coming. For as surely as you came across a situation that was unpleasant, you shall surely come again across a situation that is more pleasing. This state of mind is the state of acceptance; gratitude for all that comes your way.

I’ll use a personal story as an example.

When I was kid, growing up in 40 Projects (South Jamaica, Queens, NY) , I wasn’t exactly sure of what I wanted to be when I grew up, but a few things were absolutely clear. I wanted to have a big single family home in a nice neighborhood with lots of tall shady trees. I wanted to have a beautiful wife that loved me, and a couple of great kids with whom I would travel and have long conversations with. I wanted a couple of nice luxury cars. I wanted to be respected and thought highly of by friends, family and my community.

But as a kid in the projects, not yet in high school, with an absentee, drug addicted father and a mother barely off welfare; I didn’t feel that I had the resources yet to bring these things about.

However, I kept the dream alive. I was determined to have these things. So, I pursued the resources and eventually I attained what I wanted, all of it. And, at that point, I thought I had succeeded.

But, I wasn’t doing anything that I felt good about. I was good at what I did, but I wasn’t passionate about it. I wasn’t even proud of it. It all seemed sort of humdrum, okie-doke. Do you know that feeling? Even though I had all that I thought I wanted, I started feeling depressed.

Here’s the point, I achieved what I set out to achieve, but I did it the hard way, the long way. The entire time I was living in resistance. I was angry with my father. I was angry about growing up in the projects. I was angry about various poor choices I had made, and various setbacks I had suffered. I was angry with God.

I felt that, despite my achievements, there was so much more that I should know that I didn’t. And, that if I spent too much time with folks other than friends and family that somehow they would find out. I know it sounds odd, but I felt like an imposter pretending to be me. There was an emptiness inside me that I wasn’t really in touch with, and could not express.

As a result, all that I had began to feel meaningless, pointless, of little value. I didn’t feel significant. I felt like a liar and a fake. I had no goals and no joy. Although, I had given up drugs years earlier, I still drank. So, I drank more to dull the pain. The worse I felt, the more I drank. The more I drank, the worse I felt, until I was completely beat down with no real reason that I could explain.

At my lowest point, when suicide was a real card on the table (when it never had been before); I turned to prayer (thanks Mom). I prayed for guidance. I prayed that hope, strength and courage would return. I sought guidance everywhere. I turned to people I knew, books, and tapes, CD’s, DVDs, television, the internet, therapy, prayer, meditation and writing. As my wife would later say, I was “grasping at straws.”

But, little by little, a message started coming through. That message was “Be grateful.” My marriage, my finances, my relationships with friends and family, had all become a mess. But, I decided to be grateful. First for my kids, then the privilege of participating in the raising of a terrific niece and nephew, then my dog (yes my dog, my wife and I were arguing at that point, I didn’t become grateful for her until later), then my home, and so on.

Sometimes ten times a day, I would run through a mental list of things I was grateful for. The more gratitude I developed, the more determined I became to banish negative thoughts. The more negativity I put down, the happier I became. During this period, I was reintroduced to universal law. The more I studied, the more I experimented. The more I experimented with universal law, the more convinced I became that the universe was on my side.

Eventually, I concluded that I could move forward again as long as I continued to avoid negativity. I became determined to live “authentically”. I decided to admit mistakes, failures, history, ignorance and emotions. I started having faith that I could turn things around and achieve whatever I wanted to achieve. I began to raise my level of consciousness.

Consciousness is the compilation of godly characteristics in all living things. On Earth, humans have the highest level of consciousness among living forms. However, among humans, most of us have relatively low levels of consciousness. We suppress consciousness with resistance, all forms of selfishness, ignorance and negativity.

When we acknowledge our own negativity, and seek to let go of it, and replace it with positivity, we raise our consciousness. When we seek benefit for others, with harm to no one, we raise our consciousness. When we seek to uplift ourselves, not just for our betterment, but to help in uplifting others, we raise our consciousness. When we raise our consciousness, we increase our vibration level and manifestation becomes easier. But, to significantly raise your consciousness, you must first learn acceptance.

When I stopped resisting the feelings I had harbored over the years, stopped trying to hide my faults and fears, started forgiving my shortcomings, hope returned. I regained my courage and my strength. I started to focus more on today than yesterday and tomorrow. I started looking for ways to be helpful, and I stopped worrying about other people’s opinions (they are like buttholes, right? Everybody’s got one.)

I began to harmonize with my reality. I accepted what came my way. I dealt with it. I stopped complaining so much. If there are challenges, even obstacles to deal with, it means I am still alive. I have new opportunities to grow, to learn, to overcome, to get better, to move further, to love, to laugh, to dance, to celebrate. If I have more to do, it means life is good. It’s all good!

Today, I am back on track. In fact, I am on a better track. Through God in me, I have manifested a way out of no way.

Today I try to be grateful for everything. I am for the most part, worry-free and certainly doing something that I am passionate about. The universe has provided me a way to tap into all of my prior experiences and use them for a worthwhile cause. My home life is stable again. The alcohol abuse has stopped, and I am off to new horizons.

Now, I try to accept everything that happens. I am still human. I can’t control other people and I don’t try to. My job is to make sure that I stay on point. Bad things are going to happen, and I am still going to have bad feelings. But, on those occasion when things don’t go my way, I an reminded that on most occasions things do. I don’t have to dwell on negative events or emotions anymore. I feel them, I recognize them, and I get proactive about releasing them. I find distractions (television, exercise, talking, reading, writing, something).

I also practice mental self-talk, and I highly recommend it. When negative thoughts creep in, mentally, I explain to myself why I will not hold onto these thoughts. I tell myself that I am now releasing these thoughts, and I do. When they creep back (and they do), I tell myself “Nah, I’m not going there!” And, I move on. It takes practice, but it works. Try it.

I can not leave this article without saying that I am now extremely grateful to my wife. Thank you baby! I could not have made it through hell without you. For the rest of ya’ll, GET GRATEFUL! I mean that. You will never be sorry that you did.

Until you comply with the law of acceptance, and make peace with your reality, you will not consistently manifest what you want. Don’t complain about your circumstances, or people that cause you problems. Remember cause and effect? Those are thoughts you are focusing on and actions you are taking, and they are resistance. Don’t participate in gossip. Gossip is resistance. Let others say what they will. Just smile and be silent.

Don’t try to stop other people from being negative around you. It is a waste of energy, and it is resistance also. Let people be who they are, lead by example instead. Let them do them. You do you!

I made great strides, but it took so long, with so many struggles. I could have done so much more, so much quicker, had I learned acceptance sooner. Learn from my mistakes.