Reality as it is

“Accepting reality as it is”. Does this sentence have a pessimistic tone? Is it harsh? Well, it doesn’t seem to be the most optimistic statement. But do not be deceived; Acknowledgement and acceptance is a really beautiful thing.

Understandingly, each one of us has dreams, standards and great expectations. We all know from personal experiences that life does not always work out in our way. Is it really that awful though? Accepting our present and past for what it is, is actually not so off-putting.
You might think in contrast, you might encounter thoughts or memories of trauma, loss and so on. All that must have left you in despair and it must have changed the way you look at life. It must have hurt you so much so, that you refuse to entertain the memory or the reality.

It is relieving to avoid reality, to escape it in our own ways. Though we can avoid “negative” emotions that way, we also tend to avoid the joy in the most simple and little things. We are not really present anymore. We don’t notice the rainbows after the rainstorm, nor do we see the greenery and the floral beauty. We don’t enjoy the warmth of the sun’s yellow rays, we don’t appreciate the wind blowing against us, we don’t notice the little kids smiling at us, we tend to ignore the small everyday reminders of us being alive.

The sense of touch, hearing, smell, taste and sight, all is there to remind us of how we are alive, that we do have purpose and connection with others.

It is not easy to be present because acceptance does hurt at times, but it also gives us a sense of clarity, calm and most importantly, hope for something better. Acceptance is beautiful. Crying out, talking it out, writing it out and so on is beautiful. Where there is hurt, there is love. Where there is bad, there is good. Where there is a rainstorm, there is a rainbow. One simply cannot exist without the other.

Accept reality for what it is, feel hurt, move on, and find true joy in the smallest of things.