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Acceptance Is Better Than Discipline
One is simply a grown-up version of the other
When a fly lands on your nose, your inclination is to swat at it. Shoo! Go away! There are several reasons not to do it.
For one, even though it only takes a second to wave, it might not be much longer before the fly sits in the same spot again. She can play this game for hours! Can you?
This leads to the second reason: You’re not in the business of fly-swatting. Whatever job you actually have in the moment, it’s much more important than squashing a pesky bug — especially one that means you no harm.
The third and final reason is that if your job happens to be driving a vehicle, working at height, or giving an all-important presentation, losing focus could be of lethal consequence — in two cases literally, in one metaphorically.
The fly can be a stand-in for any number of unexpected unpleasantries, but the point remains the same: It pays to stick with what matters, even when the going gets tough.
The best way to persevere in the face of detours and distractions, I think, is to practice acceptance rather than discipline. Let’s say you’ve decided to not swat the fly. Which of the following trains of thought will you choose?
