Opening Words and Chalice Lighting:
"Accepting does not necessarily mean 'liking,' 'enjoying,' or 'condoning.' I can accept what is—and be determined to evolve from there. It is not acceptance but denial that leaves me stuck." - Nathaniel Branden, pioneer in the “psychology of self-esteem”
Check-In:
Reading:
“Serenity and peace of mind are attainable states for us humans, even in the most horrendous of circumstances. That is probably nowhere better demonstrated than in Viktor Frankl’saccounts of his imprisonment in a Nazi concentration camp. His writings confirm that we can drop the limiting belief that to accept something means that we agree with it. And his experiences demonstrate to us the deep well of spiritual strength from which we can all draw. Acceptance is the tool - Serenity is the reward.”
-Laura DeLeon, nursing background, specialty in mind-body connection
The ability to accept life circumstances without complaining, denial, and pessimism is a strong force for spiritual growth. Acceptance means to be in the moment, to look at life with clarity, without distorting or denying what one sees. Acceptance is an important pursuit that helps one reach new heights of inner understanding and fosters gratification from our current state of being. One has something to learn when he finds himself in a challenging situation(s) and repeatedly meets with failure at attempts to create a specific outcome. Inner understanding teaches that accepting what is provides a lesson in spiritual growth.-Compiled from various web articles on Buddhism, mindfulness and radical acceptance
Deep Sharing and Listening (Round #1):
1. Can you think of occasions when acceptance was an issue for you? What were the circumstances? How did the situation resolve?
2. Are you currently grappling with a situation or circumstance that invites acceptance? What obstacles are there?
3. In what ways are you approaching this?
Discussion: (Round #2):
Housekeeping:
Likes and Wishes:
Closing Words:
“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances – to choose one’s own way.” -Victor Frankl