Hold! There is a difference between acceptance and compromise
Did you just have an argument or a conflict where you held back and are now wondering why did you do that?
Or just took a decision to change the course of your career and wondering if you gave in, gave up or made a conscious choice for your betterment?
More often in life, we come across situations where we have to take a call. And with all the grooming and conditioning we have got over the years, we feel empowered when we assume active role in the whole process of the argument. That’s the way, we know battles are won. We are the makers of our destiny and we are the creators of our own path. And this translates to taking charge, making changes, controlling ourselves and the environment around to chart out our path.
So, its obvious that in my sessions, when I ask my clients to “SURRENDER”, I get asked this question inevitably- What do you mean by surrender? Should I give in and just accept what’s being offered and not act? How will I bring changes to my life if I don’t have a control over it?
And my answer every time is- There is a difference between “Acceptance” and “Compromise”, though on the exterior, sometimes they may seem like the same. The onus of deciding where do you lie, is completely within you. No one else can decode it for you for the answer lies within you.
So, time for a soul check!!
Coming to describing how I differentiate between “Acceptance” and “Compromise”, the following points need to be considered.
Difference between Acceptance and Compromise
- Acceptance is when you go with the flow, which is surrender. Compromise is when you are not too happy with what’s happening, but you still do it, maybe to avoid conflict.
- When you accept, you feel empowered unlike compromise where you feel victimized.
- When you are in acceptance, you sail much faster because you have everything supporting you, unlike compromise where you settle for what you don’t internally subscribe to.
- Acceptance makes you feel empowered unlike compromise which makes you feel that you have given your powers to something external of you.
An example to illustrate the point- More often in life, we choose from amongst the many options given to us, at that time. We choose option A over option B and step forward. Somewhere down the road, we realize this option isn’t working out. So, what do you do? Shift or abandon your dream or choose some other option to fulfill it? And that’s what decides if it was acceptance or compromise that you were operating from.
Top 2 tips to identify if it is acceptance or compromise
Ask yourself these two questions to identify your state of being.
- Do you feel empowered after you made that choice or exercised that option?
If the answer is “YES”, that’s acceptance, If its “No”, it’s compromise. Sit with yourself, eyes closed, relaxed posture. Relive the experience and see how it feels in your heart centre. Does it make you feel strong and at peace? If yes, Bingo! You are on the right path.
2. Do you feel closer to your mission/goal after exercising that choice?
If “YES”, you are in a state of acceptance. If “NO”, you are in a state of compromise. This question gives a clarity of what is your ultimate end. More often than not, we get so caught up in the means, that we forget that there are number of ways to reach the end, provided the end is clear in our head. So, if a shift means that you have just adjusted your means to reach the same goal, WHY NOT!! That’s wonderful. That is how you work with the universe.
To know more, watch this video:
So, next time, you are stuck in a situation, where you don’t know where you stand and if the choice you made was the ideal one, ask yourself these two questions and be rest assured after that. You have done your part and you have done it wonderfully well. Trust the process and release. And that’s what I call- SURRENDER!!
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