Many people feel that when they are asked to accept something that this means that they must somehow acquiesce to a situation, become resigned to it or to simply give up. This is not necessarily true but it must be remembered that before you can change something you must at first see it for what it is. Ernest Hemingway is quoted as saying that he was always suspicious of people who wanted to change the world without first taking the time to figure out what the world was really about in the first place. This is important to remember. To fully accept something, someone, or a situation, one must first see it for what it really is at that moment. The challenge is to see ourselves for what we really are before we try to change or to accept someone else. No doubt this is the human challenge. Being able to accept that life is not always fair; being able to accept that people are not always loving and loyal all of the time; being able to accept that everything changes and ends; being able to accept that things do not always go according to plans. Instead of these facts being obstacles, perhaps they are gifts that can assist in making the rough places a bit smoother in our daily lives. Let's explore.