Understanding Acceptance
I used to think living in acceptance meant condoning hurtful behavior or situations. I thought acceptance meant expecting little out of life, that it was a passive action – I thought acceptance meant defeat. However, something I’ve learned at South Orange County Detox & Treatment is that my definition of acceptance was wrong. In reality, acceptance releases the power my life circumstances had over me.
First Step Towards Acceptance
Acceptance has been extremely important in my journey throughout recovery. My first step towards acceptance was accepting that I am not able to live a life that involves drugs and alcohol. In no way am I able to manage life when on any sort of substance; it’s just not possible. From there I had to accept other flaws, defects, and behaviors which held me back in life and I had to accept help and advice to progress in these areas.
Finding Serenity
One of the many prayers used in the rooms of recovery is the Serenity Prayer. In this monumental prayer is the line asking for God to Grant us the Serenity to “Accept the Things I Cannot Change..”. Acceptance can be an easy thing to understand but not an easy thing to do. Acceptance can be an extremely difficult task through the eyes of those who suffer from alcohol and substance abuse.