I hope you enjoyed last Monday’s post on Beltane. Now that
we are a little further along in the month of May and a little further along
the Wheel of the Year, I want to share some thoughts on Unconditional
Acceptance.
Simply put ‘unconditional’ means without conditions or not
limited in any way.
Acceptance means the act of accepting; the state of being
accepted or acceptable. And ‘accept’ is defined as “to receive willingly”
How does that translate when considering the topic
Unconditional Acceptance in relationships?
In a relationship we understand that the other people are
doing the best they can under the circumstances, given their skill set,
objectives, etc.
Unconditional Acceptance does not necessarily mean
unconditional approval. Those are two different concepts.
I can understand and accept decisions others make without
approving of them or supporting them.
When raising children, parents often build “approval” into
the mix which means the children may not believe or feel they are accepted.
They feel different from the rest of the family, disengaged or even an outcast.
Acceptance of another person as she or he is, without
conditions, without limits is a gift. And, depending on our own values and
upbringing, it isn’t necessarily easy—but it is necessary to a healthy and
functioning relationship.
It is possible to accept a person “warts and all” and still
have boundaries in terms of the relationship. Not necessarily easy.
You can accept a family member or friend who has an
addiction problem and also have the boundary that you will not spend time with
them if they are under the influence.
When Sophia Stewart sends out her flyer inviting women to
her house to form a sacred women’s circle, there were more than double the
number who remained forty-five days later.
The six women who continued to come
and who are the heroines in the series came to the first meeting open to a new
experience, open to looking at the world from a slightly or even very different
point of view. They were willing to listen, to learn, to participate with an
open mind.
They created their sacred women’s circle from that initial
unconditional acceptance. They created spiritual practices individually and
together. They created a haven where they each had the safety and freedom to
express themselves through prayer and practice knowing they were
unconditionally accepted by the others.
Where in your life are you unconditionally accepted?
Please leave a
comment. I’m very interested in your perspective even if you disagree.
Learn more about The Sacred Women’s
Circle series on my website.
Follow Judith on Twitter:@JudithAshley19
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