This is something that is easily confusing for people. I have helped a lot of people live a better life and this is something that comes up often, and the wrong definition or view of acceptance can cause us to get stuck in a life of mediocrity. Acceptance is about recognizing where you are, and where you want to be.

There are two points of life that guide us to making the most of our life.

The first one is your future self. Where do you see yourself in 10, 15, or 20 years from now? We all have dreams and vision of how we want our life to turn out, and it’s our future self that provides our drive for that better life and helps guide us down certain paths. Regret usually comes from not listening or paying attention to your future self, as you’ve mentioned about your fear.

The second point of life is where you are right now. Are you in a place to go after some of your dreams or visions? If you are great! Go for it. However, sometimes we aren’t in the best position to go after our dreams, whether it be because of finances, health, or maybe we just aren’t ready to take that next step. This is where acceptance is important. You have to accept where you are now, mentally, physically, and emotionally, to be able to work towards some of those dreams you have.

Without acceptance of where you are, you can start to feel hopeless of ever having the chance to reach your dreams. But by acknowledging where you are and where you want to be, and accepting your circumstances, you can start to work towards solutions to achieve the dreams and life you want.