Life is hard and so is change. And yes, you can accept that the world and people are going to always be … natural … challenging … the way they are. No surprises there. But give up? Give up what? The struggle?

First, consider letting go of the idea of “struggle.” Think instead of peacefully chipping away at long-term open-ended tasks.

Imagine a circle drawn around you–your circle of comfort.

If you choose to give up on changing things, on chipping away, your life won't get easier, because your “circle of comfort” will shrink if you stop working for change.

If you choose to stop pushing out on your circle of comfort, the world has a way of pushing back in on you, hard. So either way, you'll end up pushing–either for your own chosen goals, or to keep your circle of comfort from shrinking down to nothing but discomfort.

So why not pick a few things that you want to improve or change, and push a little at them? Better to push than be pushed, and doing one of the two seems to be the only choice we have. We don't seem to have the choice to hide out, quit, be neutral for too long, because the world just keeps on pushing. Your zone of comfort and peace keeps getting smaller unless you keep pushing its boundaries out. So pick some things to push for and work at. Yes, it's a lot of trouble, but so is doing nothing.

What I'd like to change is everything about me, everyone else and the world. But it ain't gonna happen. So now what?

So approach life the way you would approach eating an elephant. Bite by bite. So you can't do everything. So do something. What are you going to do today?

Sometimes I can accept things, and when I do, everything does seem different. But then I can't keep it going. I slip into my old ways and thoughts and everything's the same again, the same old fight, the same old thoughts. I give up!

When you have spent your life up until now overwhelmed by the immensity of its problems and challenges, it's hard to dim that awareness down to just right-now, just this-moment, just today, which frankly, is much more interesting, fuller, richer, and more potentially powerful than any big picture. But when you feel overwhelmed by the enormity of life and its problems, go small, go now, go present, and accept what is, today, now. Accept what's challenging you today. And from the peace that that acceptance brings, in the present, you will find the energy and the peace to move forward on the small steps you choose to take today.

But each day, when you feel discouraged? Stop. Accept whatever it is in-the-now that you're resisting, and you'll be able to move forward. This can happen in a second if that's the time you have.

Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. Just ask for the acceptance you need, and for the answers.

I'm sick of the pressure to do different, to be better, to always be pushing for change. Yet I'm not satisfied with the way things are. How can acceptance help me?

Probably there are ways that you are that you like, even if some others don't, and you're naturally resisting their pressure for you to change those. Or there are things about yourself you've accepted as what-is, and you are currently unmotivated to change in those areas. Acceptance of what-is today includes acceptance of yourself as-you-are and others as-they-are, including their unwanted pressures. When you can accept both of these, you will be in a peaceful place to work in small steps toward changing the things you choose to work on. Let go of the rest, for now.