The process of accepting the current situation, and how that acceptance leads to a much happier outcome for the people involved. In Chapter One, we'll discuss the importance of acceptance in terms of dealing with major life events. We share the story of one woman whose inability to let go of the past and its pain had a major effect on her health, as well as the story of a couple whose relationship might have ended had they not been able to accept the consequences of a life-changing decision. In Chapter Two, we'll talk about acceptance in terms of body image and physical limitations. One of the stories we share involves physical disability, while the other is of a woman whose inability to accept her body held her back from experiencing the fullest and happiest life possible. Chapter Three deals with personal power - namely, the power acceptance gives us. Once we can stop blaming outside circumstances for our unhappiness, we can step into our ability to create happiness for ourselves. Both stories we share in this chapter describe people who came to terms with their lives, rather than always wanting more or waiting for some magic spell to create their happiness - and how a shift in perception was the key to living a happier life. In Chapter Four we talk about the acceptance of the role we play in our own lives, and how acknowledging our choices and mistakes allows us to stop thinking of ourselves as victims. Once we accept and acknowledge that we've been in the driver's seat all along, we can much more effectively steer our lives in the direction we wish to go in. Both stories from this chapter describe people who were left living with the consequences of their actions - and how accepting responsibility for their lives allowed them to move onward and upward. Chapter Five covers accepting that which we cannot change. Worrying about and complaining about people, places and things over which we have no control is as useless as shouting into the wind - it gets us nowhere. How many times have you railed against a situation which you couldn't control? Wouldn't accepting the situation have been easier and eventually more productive? Would you have wasted a lot less time if you'd arrived at acceptance sooner? We'll go over a great number of situations which far too many people make the mistake of trying to fight - see if you can relate to any of them, and whether you can practice acceptance in your own life. Finally, in Chapter Six we talk about what is probably the most difficult of all: Accepting ourselves. The fact is, we're all our own worst enemy and toughest critic. Instead of rejoicing in our many triumphs and celebrating our strengths, too many of us keep a running tally of our failures and mistakes. We punish ourselves incessantly, and for no good reason. In order to be happy, we must learn to accept ourselves, our choices, our mistakes - and we must learn to see the bigger picture as well. After all, a failure is only a failure if we learn nothing from it. Once we learn to accept the past (since, after all, there's nothing we can do to change it), we free up the energy it takes to learn the lesson we were meant to learn. But until we can accept ourselves, we just might make life miserable for those around us - and in this chapter we share a story featuring just such an example of someone who was on the verge of ruining his life if they couldn't learn to accept himself. Acceptance can be the miracle that creates a massive shift in your life. Let the examples in this book be the guide you need to show you what's possible.