Kindness Through Acceptance

Day 4: Kindness Through Acceptance

“Happiness can exist only in acceptance.” – George Orwell

Vipassana, which means seeing things as they are, is an ancient tradition of meditation that has been taught and passed down for over 2,500 years. This tradition of meditation is a practice that is rooted in the idea of Acceptance. Vipassana teaches you to be aware and balanced, despite the circumstance you are in and despite whether it is a positive or negative moment. Ultimately accepting where you, who you are and what is happening without resistance.

1. Kindness to Self:

   Self acceptance is loving who you are in this moment. It is understanding and loving all your traits, feelings, thoughts, features, and embracing who you are on the inside as well as on the outside. It is honoring and celebrating both your virtues and your weaknesses. It means to appreciate, validate, accept, and understand with compassion and acceptance of who you are.

2. Kindness to Others:

   Learning to accept others, especially our loved ones, for who they are is a huge challenge for many people. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, our positive and negative traits, and we are who we are. Life can be so much more harmonious if we can accept, love and understand our loved ones for who they are, without attempting to change them.

3. Kindness to Strangers:

   Learn how to have acceptance of different types people, religions, belief systems, cultures, and the idea that there are numerous and varied ways to live a life on this planet. If we can choose to accept people’s’ differences, we can and will create a much kinder and accepting world.

4. Kindness to our Planet:

   Accepting that we are guests on this beautiful planet of ours and understanding that we directly impact the health of our earth everyday and how we can continue to make changes to create a healthier planet for us and the future of the human race.

Self acceptance and acceptance of others can lead to a new understanding of life with new possibilities that will ultimately create kindness.

Jennifer Palazzo

Photo Courtesy of FreeImages.com/SebastianLaube