The Paradox of Acceptance

It would seem that very few good things in life come from our accepting the present moment as it is.

To become educated, we must be motivated to learn.

To master a sport requires that we continually improve our performance and overcome our resistance to physical exertion.

To be a better spouse or parent, we often must make deliberate effort to change ourselves.

Merely accepting that we are lazy, distracted, petty, easily provoked to anger and inclined to waste our time in ways that we will later regret is not a path to happiness.

And yet…

it is true that meditation requires a total acceptance of what is given in the present moment.

The paradox is that we can become wiser and more compassionate and live more fulfilling lives by refusing to be who we have tended to be in the past….

But we must also relax, accepting things as they are in the present, as we strive to change ourselves.