Resetting the Mind: How Total Acceptance Unlocks Everyday Inner Peace

01 Chaos is the Norm of Life

Being enlightened today doesn't mean I'll be enlightened tomorrow.

One must "reset" every day.

Resetting means accepting yourself in the present moment and being willing to start life anew.

Lately, I've been very chaotic.

I know I should calm down and write, but my mind can't find peace; I know the lecture notes I need to prepare are urgent, but I have no motivation and don't want to deal with them at all.

I'm restless, unable to find peace in any moment. My mind, like a monkey, wanders aimlessly—that's me right now. In this chaotic moment, I feel lost and disoriented.

Later, I learned: when I'm feeling chaotic, I just need to be aware, accept it, and go with the flow.

In the past, when I was confused, I would usually go swimming or running, and sometimes meditate, but other times I would simply do nothing. Because in those moments, I couldn't do anything; I could only be "alone" with my confusion.

Maintaining inner peace is inherently difficult, which is why people need spiritual practice, isn't it?

I've observed myself: when does my mind find it easiest to quiet down?

Oh, when I write, meditate, swim, walk along the riverbank, read a good book, have deep conversations, or travel—these things calm my mind.

But these activities also have their limits. I mean, I can't keep reading, running, or meditating all the time just to calm my mind, can I?

Doing "the same thing" constantly eventually leads to burnout, and it becomes ineffective.

It's like loving pizza—you can't eat pizza every day, for every meal, right? Even the most delicious food becomes tiresome after a while.

So, I realized a truth: life is a dynamic balance. This means that daily life is actually in a state of imbalance, and this is normal.

Balance is not a fixed state.

In fact, we live in imbalance every day, striving to find a way to achieve equilibrium.

Once we find balance and feel comfortable for a while, we soon find ourselves uncomfortable and unbalanced again. So, we have to create a new point of balance. Life is forever oscillating between imbalance and balance, constantly cycling—this is our true existence.

Humans are difficult to please. On one hand, we want stability, but on the other hand, we cannot remain content within a "fixed framework." After a while, we get bored and weary.

Therefore, we are constantly searching for "new ways out." Life cannot be lived by rigid rules because humans are not easily satisfied; it's truly difficult to live a fully fulfilling life every day.

Strangely enough, when I accepted that "my mind is chaotic, this is normal, and it's not a problem," my mind actually became less chaotic.

Life is so paradoxical.

Just like how your sheets and blankets are inevitably a mess every morning when you wake up, you never blame yourself or ask, "How could I have messed up the bed?" right? After a night's sleep, it's normal for the sheets to be rumpled. It's okay—just tidy them up. The mind works the same way.

If you can't accept your own messiness, your resistance will only make you messier.

So I realized that messiness isn't the problem at all.

Just like eating every day, your teeth can't be "permanently clean," but that's okay—just brush them after meals; it's part of life.

Clearing the mind, it turns out, is a daily task. The key isn't avoiding the mess; the key is returning to cleanliness. I finally understand!

The same principle applies: being enlightened today doesn't mean I'll be enlightened tomorrow.

We must "reset" every day. Resetting means accepting yourself in the present moment and being willing to start life anew.

When I am willing to accept that "life is just like this," all the messiness instantly ceases to be a problem. It's just a state of life, nothing to be alarmed about. Clothes get dirty, so you just wash them—it's that simple.

With this understanding, one relaxes. A relaxed person is much more adept at navigating life's chaos.

Now, I no longer pray that my heart will be at peace every morning when I wake up. Whatever my mood is, it's fine; it doesn't matter, and I accept it all. Just like whether it's sunny or rainy, it's all good.

We can't control the weather, but we can control how we perceive it. Cloudy or sunny, it's all good; with a calm mind, everything is fine. In this way, you won't make things difficult for yourself, and life becomes happier.

Only now do I understand: the true way of life is nothing more than maintaining "a calm mind."

The cultivation of a calm mind lies in this: no matter how today went, no matter how I felt, it doesn't matter. I just need to quiet down, be aware, pay attention, and accept. That's enough.

Just see it. Really.

02 Accept Your "Unacceptable" Situation

First, accept your current situation.

Accept what you feel you "cannot accept."

Try it; everyone can do it.

Question: Dr. Yang Dingyi, you mentioned having faith in the universe and knowing that the universe doesn't make mistakes. However, I've been deeply betrayed, and the thought of it hurts my heart.

I want to know, when painful emotions and thoughts keep surfacing, how can I surrender? If I surrender, won't I be hurt even more?

Answer: At this time, I suggest putting surrender aside and not worrying about what surrender means. Remember the word "acceptance"—you accept everything.

Acceptance has a different power than surrender. It extends in a different direction. How so? Sometimes we don't really understand what surrender means. Surrender is more like giving yourself away. But acceptance is different—it's happening right now, and you can simply allow it.

For example, if you're experiencing many setbacks and feeling pain, then accept it. Accept what? Accept that you're feeling pain, discomfort, and resentment right now. It's not necessarily about accepting others' opinions of you; first, accept that you're reacting negatively, and accept that you feel uncomfortable.

First, accept your current situation.

Accept what you "can't accept."

Try it; everyone can do this.

You see a fire in front of you, you can't accept it, and you keep reacting negatively. Okay—afterward, can you accept that you were reacting negatively? Accept your previous reactions, your previous discomfort, your resistance, and your various views on life.

Accepting your current situation and your present state naturally puts a brake on the spiral. This reduces negative thoughts. Remind yourself that the universe cannot make mistakes; this realization itself will give you great peace and comfort.

Everything you see is a product of the mind. This world is actually an extension of the mind. Do you believe it? It's all about the five senses perceiving this world, extending out bit by bit through cause and effect. However, cause and effect itself is also a product of the mind.

As long as we believe this world is real and solid, you can't stop the workings and operations of cause and effect. Its power is far greater than we imagine. Furthermore, it's impossible to comprehend through the five senses alone because many forces exist in a realm invisible to them. Therefore, blocking karma is inherently impossible.

Accepting this world, along with accepting and affirming that the universe cannot err, is itself an acknowledgment that the changes brought about by karma are beyond our comprehension, and that these forces are completely beyond our control. At most, we can only accept them without resisting.

Therefore, constantly accepting and affirming that the universe cannot err fills me with the understanding that every lesson brought in each moment is exactly what I need.

Although I feel uncomfortable, heartbroken, and am facing what others perceive as a major crisis or catastrophe, you repeatedly tell yourself: this is exactly the lesson I need. I may not understand how past karma combined to create this, but I know it's not as simple as it seems right now. Resisting it is useless. At most, I can only accept it.

Since the universe cannot err, why should I worry about these immediate problems? Since it is entirely unfolding as it should, I can only accept it.

In this way, the burdens on your body, your entire being, and even the strain of survival itself will disappear or lighten.

I hope you will put these words into practice. If you do, I believe you will definitely reap the rewards. This way, you won't dwell on the problems—who was right, who was wrong, what the source was, who should or shouldn't have done what, or how to fix things at the time.

Don't dwell on these things because you can't analyze them all. In the end, you'll just return to the starting point, and returning to the starting point doesn't solve the problem.

Instead, returning to oneness is much faster.

Another method I suggest is to cultivate positive thoughts before going to sleep: gratitude. Practice a lesson in gratitude toward the universe: thank the universe. Even with all the difficulties you face, know that everything is unfolding correctly.

The same applies when you open your eyes in the morning: practice gratitude. Thank the universe for today. Thank the world from birth to today, and thank those around you. No matter how difficult things are, they are just the right lessons to learn.

When you wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and speak to yourself: I know I'm not just this small version of myself I see. I've never truly parted ways with the divine. I am complete, I am whole... Repeat this over and over, smile at your reflection, and give yourself affirmation, praise, and blessings.

Try it. It sounds silly, like something only a child would say. But it works. Just do it, and slowly your mood will shift. Once your mood shifts, the intrusive thoughts will fade away.

You'll find peace in your heart. But sometimes there will still be some backlash—occasional emotional ups and downs. When that happens, ask yourself:

"Who is this emotion rebounding for?"

It's for myself. It's me.

The thoughts arise for me.

And the discomfort is in me.

"Then, who am I?"

This question itself needs no answer.

Because you are already standing as one, seeing the world as a whole. Through this unanswered question, you are simply giving yourself a light reminder—you have already been home all along.

Thank you for reading!