The W.O.R.D.S. Project (Words Open Resonating Depths of the Sacred): A weekly alphabetical search for questions.*
Acceptance
Allow the words of judgement to be
Cast off into dust.
Care, fully, as a mother who
Encourages her children,
Pushing with a gentle arm and
Tales of loving persistence,
Announce yourself ENOUGH!
No more bullying in silent
Creation of a weakened soul. No!
Ease open your heart to accept the unique gift of You.
At this debut of my new project I immediately want to tell you that I don’t claim to be a poet. But that would be a bit incongruous with the subject matter. This project is not about poetry and whether is it good or not is kind of beside the point.
I wanted the words to just come, not from a place of thinking, but from a place of feeling. If I tried to write “good poetry” (which, by the way, according to a workshop I recently attended is defined as 1. Well-crafted 2. Affecting 3. Beautifully worded 4. Memorable) I would be using my ego rather than my body to write it. I accept whatever comes, trusting that there will be deeper meaning than I could ever plan to say by trying to figure out what I should say.
I was once in a workshop at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health with Hari Kirin Khalsa. At one point during an arduous meditation which, in my mind, I was doing, oh, so complete wrong, Khalsa said: “Do what you can, whatever it is, it is perfect. Even if you just imagine yourself doing it, it is exactly right.”
She told us to, “Release Expectation! Whatever you have is enough to give. Whatever happens is enough.”
Acceptance is giving yourself permission to be a learner. To be learning. To fail. To make mistakes. A “mistake” is just another name for new knowledge. Judging sends you hurling backwards into self-doubt. Acceptance pushes you forward to self-confidence and enlightenment.
So, I may not be a “good” poet but I accept that my poem is absolutely perfect!
Prompt: “I am enough! I accept this about myself…”
~~~
joanna tebbs young 
This is such a powerful post! Thank you. First, your poem is beautiful–it spoke deeply to me. And the words from your meditation teacher are, well, perfect. I always tell people in my journaling groups that whatever they write is perfect. Since many of them have a brain injury, they often feel embarrassed about not being able to “write well,” but when they write from their hearts, it is perfect in whatever form it emerges.
Thank you, Barbara! It is so true – writing “perfectly” is a myth and that makes whatever comes through imperfectly perfect!
so, is this the sort of thing that you would like people to take part in? as in, take the word ‘acceptance’, and write my own poem and perhaps share? or something you’re exploring for yourself? I like to use writing prompts on my blog, as well. lovely post, by the way!
Please do use the prompt! And please share in the comments and/or on your own blog (as long as credit is linked back to here.) I may re-post any responses as new blog posts, with permission, of course. Write Away!