Joyful Acceptance January

I have been practicing “Joyful Acceptance” this month (January). What does this mean? When things have gotten hard, I have tried my best to remind myself of joyful acceptance of what is happening at the moment. When I have felt stuck in hard feelings, I have tried to imagine what it would feel like to “joyfully accept” what is going on. For example, when my partner was called away from home for some time to deal with a family emergency, I had some resentment about how much work I was doing at home and with my kids. When I realized I was stuck in anger and resentment (it took a little time before I realized it), I asked myself what it would feel like to joyfully accept that my husband needed to be with his family and that I was taking care of things at home. Bringing to mind and body the feelings and sensations of joyful acceptance allowed all resentment to melt away immediately. When the winter weather has seemed interminable, I’ve practiced feeling joyful acceptance of this time of year. Dread and gloom give way to nostalgia and love for this season. It is a feeling I don’t allow myself to enjoy often, and this month has reminded me that I have the power to bring it to myself whenever I need it.