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Credit: DH Illustration
‘Life is full of adjustments,” I overheard my neighbour telling his young son who was complaining about the food in his hostel. Acceptance is probably a better term than adjustment, I wondered aloud much to chagrin of my neighbour. His glance was akin to saying mind your own business. I merely smiled and walked away. If this incident had happened five or ten years ago, I would be offended by my neighbour’s reaction towards me.
I am slowly treading on the path of acceptance. This is a conscious choice that I have made to keep my life peaceful and happy. Be it with relatives, friends, or colleagues, it often becomes a challenge to accept the quirky behaviour of a few people. While some may remain nonchalant about the choices that you make in life, there are others who assume the role of self-appointed critics. “Why did you take up arts as a subject, how come you don’t like cooking, why aren’t you talkative like your dad.” These constant jibes which may start as innocent observations can take the form of deep criticism distressing your ego and self-esteem. Why can’t we accept people for who they are instead of being judgemental? I often wondered.
Knowing cooking and talking nineteen to the dozen may not make someone a better person but overthinking or overanalysing hurtful comments can certainly turn you into a distressed soul. Though, I took quite some time to understand this, it was a case of better late than never.
Today, I choose to be with people who exude positive energy as their vibes are invariably contagious! The moment, I sense toxicity creeping into a conversation, I do not hesitate to move away. I still have a long way to go but this journey has taught me the joy of self-acceptance. Instead of being too harsh on myself, I have learnt to accept both my strengths and faults. Incidentally, this has helped me in becoming resolute to criticism and has erased FOPO (fear of other people’s opinion). Oprah Winfrey’s words sum it up aptly, “I was once afraid of people saying ‘who does she think she is’, Now I have the courage to say, ‘this is who I am.’