A simple idea that seems like it's on the far horizon

"As spiritual seekers we don't have to invite challenges but we do have to celebrate challenges when they visit us. I am not saying that we have to go around looking for trouble. That is not our assignment. But when troubles arise we must know how to surrender to them and accept them. We even have to be jubilant in a crisis and think, "Oh, this is such an extraordinary, golden opportunity to practice how to accept what I don't like. If I am able to accept this condition at this moment in my life, then I will be able to transcend all of my fear, all of my insecurities. This is a blessing in disguise." We have to almost prostrate to the challenges when they visit us without invitation. When they are actually knocking at our door, we have to be thankful to them. In that sense, as spiritual seekers, we have to take our whole life as our practice, as our path. Life is our path. From the moment we wake up in the morning until the time we go to sleep at night, our whole life is filled with opportunities for cultivating acceptance, patience. tolerance, forgiveness, awareness, and mindfulness." --Anam Thubten, No Self, No Problem 

What the fuck is that all about? Not the way I have been taught to live. How have I been taught? 

To fight, to resist, to argue, to bargain and negotiate, to obliterate reality, to look for a fix, to run, to fall into self pity, remorse, regret, anger and other disturbed states. I was not taught by family or culture to accept. To come to terms with reality by adjusting myself. I was taught to struggle tremendously in the effort to change reality to suit myself. 

The above passage reminds me of one of the famous bits of AA literature, the Acceptance paragraph from the story called Doctor, Alcoholic, Addict in the 3rd edition of Alcoholics Anonymous. 

"And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation—some fact of my life —unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God’s world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life’s terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes."

Anam Thubten goes on to write about a sort of vow. It's very simple: "Today I will accept everything exactly as it is." Yesterday, I was repeating that kind of thought every time I noticed myself fighting. "I accept everything exactly as it is." I wasn't able to get there, but I was able to remind myself of the basic idea. It is so alien to my usual way of living through pain and suffering, through loss, grief, anger, sadness. "I will accept it all exactly as it is."