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Broad roads…
The streets are wide enough in most parts to allow at least two lanes of traffic. One lane travels in one direction; the other, it’s opposite direction.
Why then is it so difficult to allow the same on the road of life?
Tolerance: The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others.
Acceptance: The experience of a situation without an intention to change that situation.
Most believe tolerance to be acceptance.
It is distinctively different.
And if acceptance is not the foundation from which tolerance is extended, the road is oh so narrow. While those traveling down it pretend it to be wide enough to allow the both sides.
Acceptance is the opposite of resistance.
Most the world is walking around tolerating…
Where then is the peace?
Tolerance when practiced alone is a slow, boiling suppression.
Tolerance, to most, equals a stalemate.
Although tolerance is better than its counterpart, acceptance partnered with tolerance is the only path to peace.
Acceptance is the purest form of compassion there is.
When we live life from a place of acceptance there is no underlining belief that one way is the right way and that we must tolerate anything. It takes toleration out of the equation. When we live with acceptance all ways are The way.
Think about it. If I go out to dinner with someone who gets on my nerves because she/he is the complete opposite of what I believe or how I choose to be and I “tolerate” them because I believe in peace and compassion and yada, yada, yada… isn’t that an oxymoron?
How is that compassion? And yet this is the way most of us believe. We tolerate for the sake of acceptance; instead of accepting for the sake of living.
Tolerance in this form is still holding on to the attitude and belief that the person you are “tolerating” is in some way defective for what they are and what they believe. How then, can this be true acceptance?
It is the south’s version of “bless your heart”… Bless your heart sounds like such a nice and loving thing to say… yet most the time it is said in a pies and pitying way. “Bless your heart” usually equals “you poor thing.”
Tolerating usually equals standing on your soap box looking down the nose of faux humility all the while believing your way is the superior way and you are granting someone else the permission to be as they are.
Broad roads…
Narrow minds…
Acceptance is the ocean while tolerance is the river.
The river leads back to the sea…
So tolerance is a road towards peace. But tolerance when built on the foundation of acceptance is the sweet elixir of life. The healing balm on this journey we are all on. The unconditional love as endless as the ocean…
Today, I choose to broaden my mind and open my heart in acceptance…
Broad roads… this is my choice today.
Comments
Login or register to post a commentAcceptance in relationships
Amy, i just love all of your posts, but this one really touched me.
I just came out of a relationship and how I wish he could read what you were saying about tolerance and acceptance, we broke up because he couldn't accept me as I am, he wanted me to change to fit the profile he wanted. He couldn't even tolerate how different we are let alone accept me as I am.
He wanted me to start believing that my way was wrong and has to change, Thank God that I pulled myself together and got out of it, four months were more than enough....
Thanks for reminding me how the world should be
Fatima