"When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.”

The first Path for Change is the one called Acceptance.

Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgement of the facts of a situation. Then deciding what you're going to do about it.

The quickest way to change your attitude toward pain is to accept the fact that everything that happens to us has been designed for our spiritual growth.

Happiness can exist only in acceptance.

Accept everything about yourself -- I mean everything, you are you and that is the beginning and the end -- no apologies, no regrets.

To begin the journey towards acceptance try letting go of analysing or attempting to 'figure out' the 'whys' of the situation and seek trust. Realising every life experience has a purpose - even if beyond our knowing - helps pave the way to acceptance.

Acceptance is the beginning, the starting point for creating a different outcome. Acceptance of what is, allows you to take responsibility for your circumstances. Once you have accepted responsibility you are empowered to make the necessary changes to change your circumstance.

If you are unwilling to accept what is, that leads you to blame something or someone else, thus you are powerless to change it. You can not change something you do not take responsibility for.

How to Learn Acceptance:

The first thing we need to do is honestly examine our circumstances. No, you might not have the big house over-looking the ocean that you dream about, but do you have a place to call home? Is there food on the table, clothing to wear, activities to entertain you? Accept that you have a great life. It may be different from someone else's, but it is not necessarily worse! Someone to love can bring you great joy, no matter how old you are.

The second thing is to look at ourselves. You might not look like a fashion model, but do you have friends? A family? Do you at least have a few people who love and accept you? Then honor that acceptance by accepting yourself. And, while you're at it, accept them for who they are, too.

This brings us to the third aspect of finding acceptance. Do you find that you are critical of the people around you? Or can you find acceptane in their diversity? So many people have made themselves miserable because they have an "odd" relative, an out-spoken brother-in-law, or a gay child. Other people don't have to live up to our values and expectations. You can be different from them, and still enjoy them because they add a dimension of interest, excitement and diversity to your life. Would you really want everyone you know to be just like you?

But what if you have experienced a set-back in life? What if you have lost money, had to move, become ill, been in a car wreck or experienced other problems? What then? Can you just move on with your life? Yes, you can. As long as you are alive, you have the capacity to enjoy at least some aspect of your life. The more you focus on it, the happier you will be. Perhaps you are fortunate enough to still be surrounded by friends and family; maybe you'll find new activities in your new neighborhood; maybe the new car uses less fuel. Whatever you can find to be happy about, accept it!

You need to affirm to yourself that sometimes it takes longer to reach your outcome, to see changes or to be accepted. Sometimes people will disappoint you, but remember, although expectations can take time to materialise, the important thing is not what happens, but how you react to it.

The last thing you can do to find acceptance in your life is to simply decide that, "Whatever Is, Is Good Enough."

Remember:

"Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today... I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is suppose to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake." 
  Alcoholics Anonymous