Appreciating others for who and where they are

I had to learn to accept that I cannot learn other people’s lessons for them. They must do the work themselves, and they will do it when they are ready.

I spent a great deal of time worrying about others and trying to solve their challenges. It would be so easy if they would just listen to me. From the outside, the solutions were clear. I knew exactly what they should do to move forward, or so I thought anyway.

The problem was that I was solving their problems using my life’s experiences. The solutions I saw clearly and that I thought would help them didn’t resonate with them because they hadn’t lived my life experiences.

Have you ever been there? How frustrating is it when others won’t make the changes they need to make to get out of situations that aren’t in their best interest?

It’s one of the most difficult things in life to see the ones we love struggling. Maybe even more difficult is accepting them where they are.

Acceptance doesn’t mean that we agree with or condone other’s actions.

Acceptance means that we accept that the lessons before them are theirs to learn.

Acceptance lets them know that we trust they are capable of learning their lessons.

Acceptance means that we have boundaries and honor their boundaries.

Acceptance doesn’t mean we don’t care; it means we love them through the tough times.

A shift occurred in me when I realized that I could choose to bring frustration or I could choose to bring acceptance to those relationships.

By choosing acceptance I let the other person know that I am there for them whenever they want to make changes but I can’t do it for them and I trust that the answers they need are inside them.

When we change the world changes.