Welcoming What Is Here for You

There are moments in life, especially in emotional healing, when acceptance feels impossible. We notice resistance rise up, fear of change tighten its grip, or a strong desire to push away what is uncomfortable. In these moments, we often believe acceptance means liking or approving of what is happening. It does not. Acceptance is not agreement. It is allowing what is already present.. It is being with the reality of what is here and now. When we are in resistance to this, we suffer. 

A practice I often return to, both personally and professionally, is the invitation to “welcome what is here.” This phrase can feel counterintuitive, especially when what is “here” includes pain, fear, grief, or deep uncertainty. Yet welcoming does not mean tolerating harmful behaviours or dropping healthy boundaries with others. It means choosing to be with what is already present, specifically within you, rather than fighting it.

To welcome what is here is to be with our experience. Instead of immediately distracting, fixing, or numbing, we pause. We notice the sensations in the body, the emotions we are feeling, the thoughts, ideas, judgements and stories we have regarding this particular experience or person. We just notice and allow. We witness. 

It also means allowing ourselves to feel. Many of us learned early on that certain feelings were unsafe, inconvenient, or unacceptable. Over time, this can lead to avoidance patterns that show up as substance use, compulsive behaviours, or emotional shutdown. To feel is to gently acknowledge what is there without pushing it away.

Welcoming also invites us to look at our inner experience with curiosity. What is this resistance protecting? What might this fear of change be trying to tell me? Resistance is a signal. It may be pointing to grief, loss, uncertainty, or a need for safety and reassurance.

Finally, this practice asks us to place our attention on what we would rather avoid. Attention is incredibly powerful. When we meet our experience with compassion, something shifts. The intensity often softens. The nervous system settles. We create space between ourselves and the urge to react.

In addiction recovery and emotional healing, unacceptance is common. Change can feel threatening, even when it is desired. Welcoming what is here does not mean staying stuck; it means creating the conditions for movement, release, and flow. When we stop fighting reality, suffering ends. Peace begins to replace pain. 

Welcoming is a practice, not a destination. Some days it will feel accessible; other days it may feel out of reach. Both are okay. The invitation remains the same: Can I be with what is here, just for this moment?

It is in this willingness that healing begins.