What Is, Is! provides readers with a new way of thinking that will transform their lives, specifically working with the critical inner voice to support the manifestation of lasting changes. One of the techniques Graham W Price advocates is innovatively called the "pacceptance principle". "Pacceptance" supports people to develop the habit of accepting what is, and then focuses on action to change the future. The pacceptance principal as stated in the book is:
"What is, is
And there's not point wishing
That it isn't
But if we want to change the future
We won't do it by wishing
We need to act"
Graham Price maintains that we all do the best we could have done or the only thing we could have done at any given moment. As I read What Is, Is! I congratulated myself that I was able to and in fact do do this. However what is, in my opinion, far harder to achieve is accepting that someone else's action was the best or only thing they could have done – especially if they have hurt you. This obviously doesn't apply when people do really nasty things like committing violent crime!
However acceptance or pacceptance doesn't mean that we abnegate responsibility. Far from it:
"Eliminating regret and self-blame doesn't mean diminishing our responsibility."
We have to decide to act differently in the future and take actions to prevent a recurrence of past mistakes.
What Is, Is! is a fascinating book and well worth taking one's time to work through. There are excellent case studies to illuminate situations and each chapter ends with an Action Summary. My only real criticism is the marbled grey background to the action sections which makes reading more difficult. The book ends with a useful two-page summary which the author suggests you photocopy and keep at hand for regular reference.
Published by HotHive Books What Is, Is!: The Power of Positive Acceptance
is available from Amazon.
