Perceptions of Love and Acceptance

The perception discussion for this week is love & acceptance.

Love

First, we’re going to discuss love. What does love mean to you? There are many types of love. Love for your parents, family, and children. Love for the extended family which includes friends.

Love is both a noun and a verb. It is being and is an action.

“It is true of our self-actualizing people that they now love and are loved… they have the power to love and the ability to be loved.”—Abraham Maslow

Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love of a mother differs from the love of a spouse which differs from the love of food. Most commonly, love refers to a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment. Wikipedia.

“We cannot will love, but we can will to open ourselves to the chance, we can conceive of the possibility—which… sets the wheels in motion.” Rollo May.

To be and feel loved is one of the most precious emotions we can experience. The lost of love can leave us empty and incomplete. Feeling lost, unloved and critical of ourselves comes from a lack of self-acceptance. A study at Queens University in Canada found we have 6200 thoughts a day and the National Science Foundation states 80% are negative. Now we know why it’s difficult to change.

Many of us have love and felt our world was over or the rug pulled from under us when we lose someone we love. Be it a partner moving on or losing a loved one too soon. Either way, grief is felt. Allowing ourselves to grieve and understand and accept the grieving process is key to us being able to move on. Acceptance helps us.

Acceptance

What is acceptance? The Merriam-Webster definition: the act or state of accepting oneself: the act or state of understanding and recognizing one's own abilities and limitations.

Maya Angelou wrote: “I don't know if I continue, even today, always liking myself. But what I learned to do many years ago was to forgive myself.”

Acceptance is forgiveness of self. It’s an act of excusing ourselves of a perceived mistake. What causes us to feel inadequate to the point we find self-forgiveness unacceptable. It could be:

Not feeling intelligent.

Feeling unlovable

Feeling unattractive

Feeling insecure

Feeling like you’re not good enough

As you notice the previous statement’s keyword, which is FEELING. Your perceptions make you feel this way. Doesn’t mean you are these feelings.

Wayne Dyer wrote: If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

Acceptance is difficult if you have had many negative self-talk.

I felt I wasn’t good enough when it came to relationships, appearance, and sometimes talent. My plus was there were parts of me I was accepting of. I knew I was intelligent. Maybe not Einstein's intelligence, but I knew the world around me. I was aware of my environment. I just had an empathic sense for it. And I was blessed with loving parents. Having loving people in our lives makes challenges bearable. There is a sense of security when you feel loved. I took more chances.

Love doesn’t need to come from family. It can be friends and others.

Nathaniel Branden states: “The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.”

This is so true; how can you be aware of a situation if you don’t see a perception exists?

I once had someone say well, you know how I am. What does that mean? So, you’re aware, but using your awareness as an excuse to keep acting out a behavior? Hum, doesn’t sound right, but I’m not here to change or judge.

Peter Lindbergh wrote: “I’m firmly convinced that true beauty only springs from the acceptance of oneself, from an awareness of who we really are.”

Asking questions before we judge ourselves or others.

Who am I? I guess that depends on the day. I’m a work in progress.

Why do we feel this way?

Sometimes, we just have to step back from a difficult situation and ask ourselves why. Let me tell you, those are difficult questions to ask when you’re emotional. Hope and asking self-reflecting questions can give you peace of mind.

The poem for this week is SELF from Inspire Me: Perception:

Perplexing stillness

Lost in cosmos of beliefs

Concepts—Old movies flash

 

Abstract intentions

The past is past—face it

Embark to unveil behavior

 

Evolving blossom

Efflorescing history

Conjuring spells of soul

 

Cubical cage of

Anxiety soars

Halts transformation

 

Conflicted thoughts

Tension of Id & Ego

No more, no more

 

Reticent shrieks

Guidepost confusions

Deceit impacts meditations

 

Metaphysics

Vanishing sage

Contemplation finale

 

Old beliefs release soul

Heart opens, engages

A benevolent self

 

River Flute by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4713-river-flute

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

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