How Can Acceptance and Taking A Stand Go Together?

​Someone recently asked me about the seeming contradiction between acceptance and taking a stand in the world – after all, if we accept everything, why would we need to take a stand against anything?
 
So I’d like to share very briefly my understanding of 'acceptance' and 'taking a stand'.

​Acceptance has many layers to it – and some are steeped in confusion.
 
Accepting the story of what is happening and the story of who we are is confusion, not true acceptance.
 
True acceptance is acceptance of what actually is - who we all actually are.

​'Standing for Truth' is different than 'standing against what’s happening'.

Standing for Truth is a stand for what is - for what we truly are. 
Love, Freedom, Truth, Beauty, Joy, Oneness.

​When we’re in fear we try to control things and other people. 
This is because we’ve forgotten who we are.
 
But also when we’re in fear it’s very easy for us to allow others to control and manipulate us.  This is because we’ve forgotten who we are.
 
When people try to control or manipulate us and we don’t stand in the truth of who we are, we are not only denying the truth of who we are – we are denying the truth of who they are.
 
We are not in acceptance of the truth of our Being.
We are accepting the story of who we (and they) are – we are accepting a lie.
 
This happens so often between family members, friends, and between governments and its citizens.  
 
When faced with attempts to control or manipulate, 
taking a stand as Truth is the most loving and honest stand we can take.

To give into control is to give into a lie. 

Love and wisdom never go along with a lie.

Love says to those who believe the lie,
 "I see you want to control me. 
And I know it's because you don't know.
So here I stand 
unmoving 
as the Freedom 
that I know we all are.

This gift I give to you -
the gift to see your own Freedom
reflected in this very stand for my Freedom."

If you're interested, here is another free article on substack
which addresses how control can express itself
collectively:  Should Your Mother's Advice Be Banned?