Open Acceptance

One of the tensions that you might experience during your personal growth journey is shifting from self-protection to an open acceptance mindset regarding your circumstances.

We have a built-in bias toward self-protection. It likely comes from our biological hardwiring for self-preservation. Usually it’s very helpful and keeps us safe. However, there are times it shows up in unhelpful and even harmful ways. It’s often that self-protective instincts sabotage your self-improvement, personal development or positive change efforts.  You stop or delay leveling up your well-being to protect against: potential negative consequences if you fail or threats that could arise. This is a normal and common point of tension. It’s also where you have to override your natural instincts and need to practice open acceptance.  

Practicing open acceptance is being open to and accepting of the potential experiences, outcomes and consequences of your choices and actions. You acknowledge and accept them as something that could be encountered along your path to better well-being. Instead of being roadblocked by anticipated problems, this mindset neutralizes that negative thinking freeing you to keep going forward regardless of your circumstances.  

Open acceptance produces and requires growth. Growth comes from: what’s needed to face down fears; from the self-discipline required to control self-protective instincts; and from what you learn about yourself along your path to better well-being.

Eric