Acceptance: Part 1
The other day while walking the beach at the Cathedral Coves on the Coromandel Pennisula, I felt a very strong presence surround me and speak the following word very clearly into my thoughts. Acceptance. My definition: To fully allow whatever is happening to you in any given situation with grace. Until now, I haven’t had a good concept on what acceptance really is. Through pulling myself out of my comfort zone and submersing myself in a whole new country on the other side of the world, I have had to undergo some very challenging experiences. These experiences called for my acceptance of them. It’s been quite a journey to get to a point where I feel I am more open to allowing them to play out the way God intended them to and to accept what was presently happening in hope for the good that would reveal itself in time. In future posts, I will be addressing different scenarios of my journey that have stirred up this act of acceptance and have challenged my trust in God. Below, I begin with the initial fears that had once kept me from traveling: sleeping and anxiety.
Before even getting to New Zealand, one of my biggest concerns and fears was that I would probably find myself in very uncomfortable sleeping situations that could possibly flare up my anxiety. Looking back, I had some interesting scenarios from living in houses with a party atmosphere to living in the backpackers in Arrowtown in a mixed dorm where I would have new roommates everyday, both guys and girls. Additionally, while on 3 different road trips, I have spent many nights in hostels one after the other and I am actually surprised at how well I have done! Sleeping has always been a bit of a challenge for me, but I have definitely overcome a lot of the fear and feel that I am much more able to adapt to any given sleeping situation. There is always the occasional night where I may only sleep 4 hours and have it a bit rough the next day, but as a whole, it has been much better than I anticipated. I believe this all has to do with acceptance. Being able to accept whatever scenario was in front of me and making it work has made all the difference. It allows me to find mindful peace so that I am able to sleep; however, I do have to give some credit to earplugs as well. One way that I have made “uncomfortable” sleeping situations comfortable, is through hanging up sarongs or towels under the top bunk’s mattress to create a little space for me on the lower bunk. It creates a little fort or cave that allows me to feel like I have my own quiet space away from others in the dorm. This is a concept that my French friend Mathilde and I developed. No matter what your scenario is, find something that will bring you comfort at night before going to sleep. It could be an iPod with sounds of the ocean or try listening to Iron and Wine. It could also be reading a book, putting on an eye mask, or cuddling up with a pillow or stuffed animal. Yes, I’ve done this! Find what it is that gives you a bit of peace and your acceptance of the situation will slowly grow.
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