The Secret Sauce

Often people feel that life has been unkind to them. In my profession, I come across loads of people who are not happy either with their spouses or with their jobs, or finances or kids or something else. They find something or the other to feel unhappy about, something or the other to complain about. And then there are people who despite the biggest problems in life always remain composed, if not happy.

So, what is the difference?

Is it that these people are stronger than the first set? No! I believe that the secret sauce is acceptance.

What is Acceptance?

Acceptance means a lot of things and there are a lot of things to accept. So, the definition of acceptance is not a one-line, pithy statement. There is far more to acceptance than this story covers. But, let me explain a part of it by means of an example. Let us say, I want to go from point A to point B, which will take me one hour. On the way, I fall into a hole. What are the various things I need to accept in this situation? I have to accept that:

I am in a hole. I cannot be in denial about the predicament that I am in.
I have to get out of the hole. I cannot sit there and say, “I have fallen into this hole now. What to do? This is my life now.”
I may need to take help. It is okay to reach out to people, if I think I cannot do it myself.
I can get out of the hole. I don’t have to remain there, whatever the hole.
Getting out of the hole will take time. I may not miraculously emerge out of the hole.
The larger part of the effort will be mine. There may be no crane that will pull me out of the whole without my having to put in any effort.
Getting out of the whole will be difficult. Despite my best effort, sometimes emerging may not be easy.
Getting out of the hole will be worth the time and effort. It will allow me to head towards my destination, point B.
I may not reach point B in one hour as previously scheduled. I will be delayed. But that is okay too.

When I learn to accept these things, my journey from point A to point B will be smoother, even if I am delayed. If I don’t accept these, I will still be delayed, but I will complete the journey in misery.

Now map this with any situation you are in and try to look at it from a more open-hearted and accepting viewpoint. Chances are, although you will still have some bad luck in your life (as all of us do), you will still be far happier.

Manah Wellness is an employee engagement and wellbeing brand that provides innovative tools and professional support to businesses of all sizes. Founded by wellbeing experts and seasoned entrepreneurs, the company has an experienced team of psychologists and professionals who support individuals and teams with preventive, proactive, and personalized solutions for emotional and mental health, wellness, and professional growth. Manah empowers employees to track, assess, and understand their wellbeing, and how it changes over time. It also enables leaders to make more informed decisions with aggregated and anonymous data.

Manah has supported employees at more than 50 organizations with high levels of employee engagement, and positive feedback from employees on their improved wellbeing. Whether your goal is to lend wellness support to specific team members or to build a company culture that promotes emotional well-being, Manah Wellness has the virtual tools and expertise to support your journey. Get in touch with our team of qualified mental health professionals to discuss your organizational goals, and be part of a growing workplace wellbeing community with Manah."

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