No matter who we are, things happen that go against what we hope, dream, or plan for: a job we don’t get, a loss we couldn’t prepare for, an illness or accident. This worksheet is about learning to accept our circumstances. That is not about denying our preferences or our emotions. Grief, frustration, and anger are natural responses.
The six prompts
The worksheet asks three guiding questions: How might I frame this in a supportive way? Where might I lean into greater acceptance? In accepting this reality, where do I go from here? Then it offers six writing prompts. Nothing you write is right or wrong; use it to get to know yourself better.
- Consider one situation that happened against your hopes or plans, and write down what happened.
- Read it over. Which descriptive words stand out, and what is the energy behind them?
- Is there a way to reframe the story so its energy is neutral? Which sentences or words would you change?
- When you tell the story, do you feel weighed down, victimized, demoralized, or hopeless? Or do you move into defense or self-righteousness?
- What might it be like to tell this story from a trusting, loving, forgiving frame of mind?
- Are there barriers to that, and what might support you in opening to greater acceptance?
If you are living with chronic pain, illness, or grief, this worksheet works alongside support from a doctor or therapist and does not replace it.
Also try this Guided Meditation For Self-Acceptance. It is a 10-minute guided meditation meant to help you start your day in a calm and loving way. The focus is self-acceptance, with the idea of finding acceptance in every situation we meet, for ourselves and our current place in life.
