Emptiness can be a bleak vacuum
cold and hostile, dark with danger;
Or emptiness can be a radiant spaciousness
warm and welcoming, soft with stillness –
and the only difference between them is acceptance.
Any task can seem tedious
a chore to rush through as quickly as you can;
Or any task may seem rewarding
a process to relish, with an attentive mind
that reveals more richness, the more present you become –
and the only difference between them is acceptance.
Pain may seem unbearable
searing through you from a sharp, concentrated point
so that you have no choice but to resist
to try to escape, or to push away the pain;
Or pain can be a sensation
which you can move towards and merge with
which no longer has a centre, and dissipates and spreads through your being
until it becomes soft and numb, no longer a pain at all –
and the only difference between them is acceptance.
Trauma and turmoil can break you down to nothing
destroy the identity you spent your whole life building up
like an earthquake that leaves you in ruins;
Or trauma and turmoil can transform you
break open new depths and heights of you
give rise to a greater structure, a miraculous new self –
and the only difference between them is acceptance.
Life can be frustrating, and full of obstacles
with desires for a different life constantly disturbing your mind;
or life can be fulfilling, full of opportunities
with a constant flow of gratitude for the gifts you have,
and the only difference between them is acceptance.