Life Step 1: Acceptance

“Breathe…”

“Peace starts with knowing what’s yours to carry.”

Why Acceptance Matters

Life has a way of handing us both gifts and burdens, often mixed together in the same season. Some of those burdens are ours to hold—our choices, our reactions, our growth. But others are not. We often end up trying to carry both, and wonder why we feel exhausted.

Think of Step 1 it like standing in the rain with an umbrella. The umbrella can’t stop the storm, but it can give you shelter. Acceptance is like opening that umbrella—it doesn’t erase life’s challenges, but it creates space to breathe and find steadiness within them.

When we practice acceptance, we’re not saying, “I like this” or “this is fine.” We’re saying, “This is real—and I can choose how I respond.” That shift is powerful. It pulls us out of resistance and opens the door to peace.

How Life Step 1 Supports Mental Health

• Reduces anxiety by releasing what’s beyond your control.

• Strengthens resilience by focusing energy on what you can change.

• Improves relationships by loosening the grip on trying to change others.

• Encourages compassion—toward yourself and toward the realities of life.

Acceptance is a life step that is not passive. It’s an active decision to stop fighting with the immovable so you can invest energy where it counts.

Reflection Corner

1. What am I currently trying to control that isn’t mine to hold?

2. How do I feel when I release—even briefly—one of those things?

3. What parts of my life are truly within my influence?

4. What would peace look like if I accepted this season of life, as it is right now?

Small Practice

Grab a piece of paper and divide it into two columns:

• Column 1: “Things I Can Control”

• Column 2: “Things I Cannot Control”

Write down 2–3 items in each column. Then choose one thing from the “cannot control” list and imagine yourself setting it down—like placing a heavy rock back on the ground. Take a deep breath and notice what shifts in your body.

Repeat this practice daily for a week and see how your energy changes.

Looking Ahead

Acceptance is the first stone across the river. Once we’ve planted our feet here, the next step is learning how to trust—trusting our values, our inner compass, and the support around us.

Last tidbit :)

I understand how hard and scary it is to name the thing that has been holding back your growth. That tense feeling lingers and lingers, creating a weight that can be difficult to bear. But it's time to confront it. No more avoiding—say it out loud and take the next step. I promise you will feel better.

By naming what holds you back, you release its power over you. This is your moment to step into a brighter future. You’ve got this!

Thank you reading and taking the time to evaluate Step 1: Acceptance with me. - Megan Cerney, LCSW

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