My Acceptance Speech!

So tonight are the Oscars (I looked it up!). I think the Academy Award’s are mostly an American fascination, being an American awards show. As someone who’s lived only in Europe and Australia I’ve never really gotten into it. I watched the presentation a few years back but it didn’t grab me. I could be totally wrong, maybe it’s just me! But one thing I know for sure about The Oscars is that it’s all about people accepting, and I for one think that’s just great! As a student of Stoic Philosophy, at the core of which is acceptance of that which is outside of our control, I’m very happy to see acceptance given such a powerful and public platform!

So today in the spirit of the Academy Awards and the spirit of Acceptance, I present to you My Acceptance Speech:

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, lads and lassies, it my absolute honor today to Accept that which is. A great man once said “There are things we control, and there are things we don’t”, he goes on to explain that we should focus our energy on the things we control, our opinions, our beliefs and perceptions. For everything else, for everything we don’t control, we should have indifference, and ultimately Acceptance. That man was Epictetus. Today I feel privileged to Accept the role I’ve been given in the film of life. I did not get to choose my part, I did not get to choose when or where my story was set, the script is laid out, I don’t know what’s coming in the next scene. I’m not sure if the writers have written the entire story already, or if they’re making it up as they go along, all I know is that it’s the writer’s job and not mine.

I Accept the new and interesting characters that will come into my life. The lovers, the friends and even the villains. After all what is a story without it’s Javert, it’s Moriarty, it’s Salieri? I Accept that what has happened has happened and that what will happen will happen, it’s not up to me to change the past or manipulate the future with anything but my will and my opinion. I Accept that I am part of a much greater story, the story of humanity, and beyond that, the story of the universe. I accept my part in this great play, and I hope that at the end of my role, as I wrap up my involvement in this story, I can be satisfied that I have put in a great performance. That I didn’t shy from the challenges of my role, that regardless of the part, be it as a major player or an extra, I did not grumble and complain to the director that I’ve been given a crappy character to play.

I Accept my fellow actors, they too did not decide their own roles but are simply doing their best to play their parts, some better than others, but all of them not of my ultimate concern. I Accept that the sets and conditions will change as they will, there will be fight scenes, love scenes, wars, revolutions and inspirational underdog tales. I Accept that the weather will will shift, the seasons will change, night will follow day. I Accept that dogs will bark, cats will meow, liars will fib, thieves will steal and tyrants will be cruel. I wouldn’t Accept anything less, or any other way. There will be road to Damascus moments, Cains will murder Ables, Abrahams will sacrifice Isaacs, Icaruses will fly too close to the sun, Daedaluses will inflict crimes of envy on Taluses, Romeos will fall for Juliets and Pans will cause confusion and mischief among friends and lovers.

I’ve found my club!!

I love and Accept all as it is, part of the great play of consciousness. I accept myself, I accept the way I look, my height, my shape, the way I walk, the way I talk. I love and Accept the character I’ve been asked to play. I Accept that I am a complex emotional being, I’m not always happy, sometimes I’m angry, and sad, and lonely but that’s okay, it is ACCEPT-able. I love and Accept my character’s weaknesses, limitations and vulnerabilities, it gives him depth, it makes him interesting and unique. One day this character’s role will come to an end, and I Accept that too, the death of the character gives meaning and perspective to the actions of the character during it’s part in the play. One day there will be no living memory of this character. It may take 20 years, or 50, or if this character becomes very well known then perhaps it will be remember for thousands! But against the infinite expanse of time and space does it matter? Will we notice the difference between a single drop of water, or 2,000 drops in an infinite ocean? This too I Accept because I play my role not for posterity but for the moment, it’s not important what others think of me in the future, it’s important what I think of myself in the moment.

As Groucho Marx said “Why should I do anything for posterity? What has posterity ever done for me?” and in the words of the great Roman Emperor and Stoic Philosopher Marcus Aurelius “Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.”

We have full control over very little in this life, but one thing we control is our ability to choose to Accept that which is, and to play our given role as best we can. How much pain do we cause ourselves struggling against the way things are. If you have the power to make a change, by all means do it! If the solution lies beside the problem, what are you waiting for? However if there is nothing you can do then accept, have patience and enjoy the moment whatever it entails or includes.

“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.”
― Lao Tzu

Right now I’d better Accept that I’m getting kind of hungry and grab some lunch! Have a nice day everyone and enjoy the Oscars if you will be watching Are there a few things about yourself, or in your life that could do with some Acceptance?

Thanks for reading, all the best!

Rohan.