Freedom: How can we attain it through acceptance?
Freedom
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the freedom meaning is:
The condition or right of being able or allowed to do, say, think, etc., whatever you want to, without being controlled or limited.
A right to act in the way you think you should. The state of not being in prison.
Cambridge Dictionary, freedom definition
In all these definitions, we find the common and valid denominator idea that freedom is a state opposed to limitation. However, the concept of freedom around the world, as one of its limitations, can vary widely from place to place or through time. What was once considered freedom can be seen as a restriction nowadays. Or perhaps from one culture to another.
So, freedom has more to do with what we accept as correct or even what we accept as suitable or even fair. Acceptance means approval.
Acceptance
I liked the following acceptance psychology definition tho, it says:
Acceptance in human psychology is a person's recognition and assent to the finality of a situation without attempting to change or protest it.
So, even though we cannot decide what is happening at any moment, we are free to agree.
We will break free from limitations if we grow above your likes and dislikes.
Accept – then act. Always work with it, not against it. Make it your friend and ally, not your enemy. This will miraculously transform your whole life.
Eckhart Tolle
He likes to add:
Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it…. Cause you have done so.
Ouch.
Those words used to hurt me badly. Nowadays, I live by them.
How have we chosen? By what we think, feel, and believe.
But whether you are new or not to the concept that what happens to us in life is our own creation, you can still understand and agree that your reaction to what is happening is in your hands.
Sadhguru, the mystic, yogi, and visionary, calls this being 100% responsible for everything because we can respond to what is in our hands.
But what does acceptance mean?
Is it that I like what’s going on? For God’s sake, no. Sometimes what’s going on sucks. Acceptance means I surrender to the inevitability of this moment. No matter what is shown to me.
The way it is is the way it is and cannot be any other way.
Sadhguru
Why should we accept what it is?
I have already used this analogy. But here it comes again:
Let’s pretend for a moment we are watching a soccer game. The game has just started, and the two opposing teams are:
“What should be” versus “what is.”, Who do you think is winning?
Middle time. Minute 90. soccer penalty kicks, overtime.
How fiercely you force and kick doesn’t matter: “What is” already won.
Because – it – already – is.
This understanding will make you free.
From this newfound freedom, you can make more informed choices and decisions about what you want to do with what already is, leading to personal growth and empowerment.
So, why is acceptance important? Because it allows what is to be.
Frees you from resistance and suffering.
When you accept what it is, suffering ends. There may still be pain, but the relief that comes from the cessation of suffering is profound. Suffering is the result of refusing to accept what is.
if you think about it, in a way, resisting what is already is a form of self-abuse. It only hurts us. Therefore, to accept what is is to love oneself.
Once upon a time:
I once heard of a case of a doctor who ran over someone who was killed in the accident. The circumstances surrounding the case seemed to prove that he had done it on purpose, as they were linked by some discord. Unable to change his prison sentence, he decided to open a medical practice on campus where he was confined. This significantly improved the conditions in which the inmates lived there.
This is an excellent example of how this doctor found freedom through education.
And in a way, he continued doing what he had decided to dedicate his life to.
Isn’t it beautiful?
I read “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor M. Dostoevsky a while ago, and I strongly advise against reading it if you are feeling depressed. The book delves into the anguish of its protagonist, Raskolnikov, who is poverty-stricken and miserable. After committing a murder, he lives in constant fear and repentance, consumed by the dread of being caught. The author skillfully draws readers into the plot, making it a masterpiece despite the intense emotional turmoil it evokes. The book’s message about the dangers of overthinking is also thought-provoking. In the end, against all odds, Raskolnikov finds peace when imprisoned and sent to Siberia.
Or, as our title says, he found freedom through acceptance.
Conclusion
In summary, finding freedom through acceptance is powerful.
Surrendering to the finality of a situation without trying to change or protest can lead us to find inner peace and help us break free from limitations.
Acceptance brings us closer to making better decisions about what to do with what already is, ultimately leading to personal growth and empowerment. Instead of uselessly fighting against the inevitable.
Embracing acceptance enables us to free ourselves from resistance and suffering, opening the door to a more fulfilling and purposeful life. ultimately to freedom
