acceptance

"Such is life. Whatever is happening beyond my control, let it be. I live my life to the very fullest. That's all I can do. And that's enough."

Enjoyed these words from a wise old friend (sort of). They were talking about things in the world that can often seem distressing but spoke of them with neither resistance nor resignation. Just simple observations of the facts, along with the benefits and downsides from their perspective. Recognizing that we're all choosing to participate in certain systems for the convenience and benefits, along with the costs of that participation.

All I can reasonably do is choose how to live my life alongside and within these systems. I can't make them go away. They are there. Resisting them in my mind is a futile and wasteful endeavour. This world is infused with as much inconvenience as pleasure, as much horror as beauty. Not just the world of man either - even nature has its wildfires, hurricanes, toxic bites and such. I can't get rid of these things and make the world entirely to my liking. To preoccupy myself with them excessively and to carry resentment over their existence is an utter waste of precious energy. Nor do I need to carry any sort of defeated resignation over any of it. Only acceptance and willingness to confront whatever may come.

I can acknowledge and navigate these things without the extra mental and emotional baggage. What am I going to choose? What do I want to do? What paths do I want to take with what's available to me? How am I going to respond to what's involved along the way?