Acceptance WorksheetAcceptance is the key to Lighter Relationships, and indeed, Lighter Living. Imagine if nothing about your close family and friends, or anyone, bothered you and you were feeling happy and grateful for their presence in your life.

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What can you actively do so that you can generate, spontaneously, the state of acceptance? I have come up with a 3 step process. The 3 steps are Recognition, Self Acknowledgement, and Grateful Inquiry.

Use this worksheet for working on a relationship with another person. Use it for one problem behaviour/attitude at a time.

Step 1: RecognitionList the behaviour / attitude that, right now, you have difficulty accepting.

1.1 I just cannot accept ______________________ [Name of the person] for _____________ _______________________________________________________________________ [attitude / behaviour].

1.2If this person continues this attitude / behaviour, how is it going to be bad for them? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1.3If this person changes this attitude / behaviour, then how will they benefit?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Step 2: Self Acknowledgement2.1When I experience this attitude / behaviour I feel ________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________. [List feelings. Eg: angry, frustrated etc. Get as nasty as you can! It will help.]

2.2What are some of the things I do, which make me feel the same feelings about myself? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.2What are some of the things you do to avoid the bad outcomes you listed in 1.2.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.3What are some of the things you do to achieve the good outcomes you listed in 1.3________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.4What is the price you are paying to ensure that you achieve this good outcome for yourself________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Step 3: Grateful Inquiry3.1Close your eyes. Take 3 deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose and fill your lungs completely. Breathe out through your mouth and empty your lungs completely. Look deep into yourself. The truth is that you would not have attracted this behaviour into your life unless it is meant to teach you something.

Make a list of how this person’s behaviour / attitude in its present and exact nature is teaching you? How is it beneficial to your life? Be generous. Fill this page. Find another page if you need to. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Once you finish filling this page, close your eyes and imagine how your life would be if you have already learnt these lessons. And in your heart, be grateful for the greater purpose that this behaviour/attitude exists in your life. Focus on this feeling of gratitude for 30 seconds, and send out a silent thank you to this person.

That’s it! Enjoy your relationship in a whole new light. Write in with your experiences at shantan@gmail.com.

Wishing you Lightness.

Free to copy and distribute. http://LighterLiving.DrSanthan.com