A few weeks ago, I was triggered by an certain events to give some serious thought regarding “acceptance” of a chronic condition as a philosophy. And then of course, I had to wonder: why do we seek acceptance in the first place?
On a practical level, acceptance can mean that we are finally in tune with our bodies, and are working it without overworking it. Thus, we are able to find some sort of a steady state for ourselves, where the ups and downs are not too high or too low. This, of course, is a reason all by itself to accept an unpredictable and often brutal illness like fibromyalgia!
But I feel like the true essence of why we seek acceptance lies in its emotional impact. A state of acceptance promotes a state of happiness.
Chronic illnesses are difficult beasts to deal with. I had previously likened fibromyalgia to being in an abusive relationship, in many ways. It is the invisible partner in my life, who beats me black and blue from time to time, often for no apparent reason. Such chronic conditions can be extremely frustrating to try to build a life around.
When one is in denial of a chronic condition, I feel that is akin to an all-out physical battle between the self and illness. The self wants to make no room for the illness; and the illness retaliates with resentment, and wishes to annihilate the self! On the other end of the spectrum, when one is resigned to the chronic illness, they have given up the fight completely, the enemy is camping out in the self, ravaging it from within. Both states leave the chronic illness sufferer feeling very helpless, as they struggles with losing control over their bodies, and their lives in general. Neither is conducive to seeking happiness with a chronic illness.
Somewhere along that continuum lies acceptance. Here, there is no all-out battle; neither is there a simple surrender. It is more of a quiet, deliberate, game of chess between the self and illness. Each calculates their move carefully; and if played right, the self usually gets the upper hand!
So how can acceptance lead to a state of happiness?
Most of my “happiness philosophy” stems purely from my own experiences, both from long-term growth as well as brief moments of revelation, followed by long periods of meditation on my experiences. But it’s interesting to see how much of it aligns with the current research on what makes people happy! Yet “happiness” is a very personal thing, with each person having their own definition of what happiness means to them.
But there is also a higher level unity in human psychology. People from almost any part of the world, belonging to any religion or any culture, generally find happiness when they feel like the universe is their friend, instead of it trying to thwart their every move. They find happiness when they can see themselves, and their trials and tribulations, in perspective, instead of feeling like they are being manipulated by unseen hands. And no matter how one defines what core happiness means to them, cultivating a state of mental peace is crucial regardless. In fact for many, that state of inner peace, itself, is what they might call happiness!
It can be very difficult, however, to not feel like the universe is playing nasty practical jokes on you when you suffer from a chronic illness. And cultivating a state of peace amidst the inner turmoil can be difficult indeed. But accepting that illness may be the first step to emotional healing! As I said in my previous post, however, the road acceptance is not a straight path, and the very state of acceptance is along a continuum, and ever-changing like a dune. But regardless, in looking into ourselves to seek it anyway, we might unlock the secrets of finding our secret source of happiness.
MORE IN THE ACCEPTANCE SERIES:
Part III: How Acceptance can lead to Happiness