True Peace Begins When We Stop Trying to Change Others and Start Seeing Them Through the Eyes of the Creator.
In Native American Culture, Every Being Has a Sacred Purpose and the Path of One Is Not Meant to Be the Path of All. Acceptance is not Agreement- it is Respect. It is the Understanding That We All Walk Our Own Road to Truth, Healing and Growth.
To Accept Another As They Are is to Practice Love Without Condition. It is to Honor the Differences That Make the Circle Whole. When We Judge or Condemn, We Separate Ourselves from the Great Spirit’s Wisdom. But When We Sit in Silence and Listen, We Often Discover That Beneath Our Differences Lies the Same Spirit of Longing, Hope and Humanity.
The Wolf Does Not Expect the Eagle to Soar in the Same Way. The Tree Does Not Shame the Stone for Its Stillness. In the Same Way, We Must Let Others Be Who They Are, While Holding Our Own Integrity with Grace.
“I Accept Others as They Are, with Respect, Compassion and the Understanding That We All Belong to the Sacred Circle of Life.”
In Many Native American Communities, the Principle of Non-Interference Teaches Us Not to Force Our Beliefs onto Others. We Share Wisdom When Invited, and Trust the Spirit to Guide Each Person’s Journey.
Stand Barefoot in a Creek or Shoreline and Let the Water Move Around Your Feet. Say Aloud, “I Let Go of Control. I Allow Others to Flow Freely on Their Own Journey.”
“Great Spirit, Help Me to See With Eyes of Understanding. Teach Me to Honor the Path of My Brothers and Sisters Without Control or Judgment. Let Me Be a Mirror of Peace, Not Pride. May My Love Be Unconditional, as Yours Is. Aho.”
Spend Time with Someone Who Has Different Beliefs or Behaviors Without Offering Advice. Simply Be Present and Observe Your Inner Dialogue. Practice Stillness and Non-Reaction.
“Mino-dendimowin” — Respect. A Foundation of Acceptance in the Anishinaabe Teachings.
Who Do I Struggle to Accept as They Are? What Expectations Am I Holding Over Them That May Come From My Own Wounds or Fears?
As You Sit in Stillness, Breathe Deeply and Picture the People in Your Life Exactly As They Are. Whisper, “You Are Free to Be You. I Am Free to Love Without Needing to Change You.”