ACCEPTANCE
THE PATH
TO SELF
BY CHARLIE BISHOP
The past is the past. Nothing we do now can change that. There you go; I said it. It seems blunt and scary, but it is true. Yet before we can move forward, we must acknowledge and accept what has happened, process it, and accept it to allow us to move on. And we can move on. Yes, moving on doesn’t mean forgetting our experiences or brushing them under the carpet, it’s about finding a way to live with those feelings, to allow us to lead happy lives and grow with, not against, our experiences. It can feel like the hardest thing to do and there is no easy answer to that, but there are tools out there that can help. Mindfulness is the practice of being present and aware of our thoughts and feelings as they happen moment to moment. It is used in therapy as a way of focusing on awareness whilst acknowledging and accepting the thoughts, feelings, and body language that comes along with it. With it, also comes the understanding of relaxation and breathing techniques that can help us feel calmer.
