How many hairs do you split every day? What got me thinking about this is as I’m writing a Parenting Teen column, I’ve heard many a teen ask the ever important question; “do you like him, or do you like-Like him… or do you REALY like-Like him? This last I would imagine is equivalent to some form of love.

Even in the realm of psychology they break love down into three forms of love; passionate, intimate and committed. Sometimes I just feel it’s all too much; love is love isn’t it? We can certainly get bogged down in degrees and levels, but it is still ALL love. Now don’t get me wrong I of course draw the line at pedophiles or things like NAMBLA, because this is misguided and a misuse of love.

But where else do we split hairs? “I got an A- on my paper instead of an A+” That’s splitting hairs quite a bit, if you ask me, but I know people that are like this. So much energy is given between that minus and that plus sign it drives people crazy. How about, “I can no longer fit into a size 8 – have to wear a size 10”. This is a tricky one, because I thoroughly understand body image, but to force your body into a smaller size by way of torture (and that is what some diets are!) is not a good use of your energy. This is just a couple of examples, but I’m sure you can think of others where we expend so much energy with out justifications.

Would you like to know the one thing we do that does not expend so much energy? Acceptance – it uses very little actually. Oh, we somehow think acceptance is the hardest thing in the world, and perhaps at first it may be. But get past that first step and we feel so good about it – it becomes the easiest thing, the most natural thing in all the world.

Acceptance - Try it – you’ll like it!

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard