Become Willing
Goal
To learn how to take things as they are.
Willingness & Acceptance (p. 45)
Acceptance is the act of receiving or taking what is offered. Willing is a synonym for accepting. Acceptance and willingness can be understood as an answer to the question: “Will you take me as I am?” Watch the following video called The Unwelcome Party Guest - an ACT Metaphor, which demonstrates acceptance and willingness:
What Willingness Is & Is Not (p. 130)
Willingness is:
- Holding your pain as you would a delicate flower in your hand
- Embracing your pain as you would embrace a crying child
- Sitting with your pain the way you would sit with a person who has a serious illness
- Looking at your pain the way you would look at a painting
- Honoring your pain the way you would honor a friend by listening
- Inhaling your pain the way you would take a deep breath
- Abandoning the war with pain like a soldier who puts down his weapons to walk home
- Getting with your pain like drinking a glass of pure water
Willingness is not:
- Resisting your pain
- Ignoring your pain
- Forgetting your pain
- Buying your pain
- Doing what pain says
- Not doing what pain says
- Believing your pain
- Not believing your pain
Reflection (Optional)
Write your thoughts down to better understand this concept.