Acceptance Frees Up Life Force
I came to EFT tapping because I needed acceptance. But that’s not what I thought I needed.
I thought I needed just to “pull myself together.” I was being very reactive. If things went a little bit askew—and when you’re parenting, things often go askew—I needed something, some way, in the moment to help myself. Meditation was helping… but was not enough of a carry-over into the day-to-day lived experiences.
I craved emotional self-management. And, admittedly, EFT standing for emotional freedom techniques attracted me. It’s like, oh, yeah, the word freedom means a lot to me, has always meant a lot to me.
What I discovered was that the essential nature of EFT Tapping is to acknowledge something that’s driving us a bit crazy and lead the energy in the direction of “I deeply and completely accept myself.”
In the decades since, I’ve tapped on just about everything that comes up for a human: physical, emotional, even spiritual challenges. The core of Tapping’s energy is acknowledgement. I’m aware of this or that. And I accept it. Sometimes I say, “I deeply and completely accept myself anyway.” And the anyway feels crucial.
I have so much resistance to accepting reality sometimes. How about you? Even just simple things like… I want to read a book with my daughter. No, she says. I’m willing to play with her. No again. What does she want? Something that’s not a yes for me. So we reach an unwanted impasse where there’s no yes-yes, other than to give each other a little bit of space, maybe express some disappointment. Her disappointment louder than mine nowadays… mostly.
I say this because acceptance is not something that feels powerful, and yet acceptance frees up life force. It frees up our capacity to adapt. If I build up the muscle and skill of acceptance, it means I’m capable of being aware of more things without being destroyed by them, or even stressed to the max by them.
Why? Because I accept that certain things are what they are. And now what? In the NOW that acceptance allows looking for the entire range of possibilities for how to stand.
Consider the black and white version: Is a situation Acceptable or UNacceptable?
If something is unacceptable—then we must do something about it… even if we can’t. That’s the reactive energy of something being unacceptable.
Which is why acceptance is an acknowledgement, a nod to, “This is reality. I’m aware of it and this is reality and I accept myself and my role and my place and my limits and my capacities related to that."
How incredibly powerful it is to be able to stand in that kind of accepting posture. It’s why I tap every single day. I invite you to also.
Useful Concepts for Thriving in This Story
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Acceptance
Meeting life as it is releases resistance and opens energy for healing and choice. -
Awareness
Broadening what we notice—inside and out—gives us more to work with wisely. -
Adapting
Flexibility invites fresh possibilities aligned with what matters. -
Right Distance Right Depth
Adjusting closeness and intensity helps us find a workable stance. -
Emotional Freedom
We respect the full spectrum of feelings and still choose how we respond.