Dedication and Effort without Acceptance = Pointless

My utthita hasta padangusthasana
in April 2014.

Dedication and effort can only take you so far. It is not until you accept where you are in this current moment can you propel to new heights. I remember when I could only lift my bent leg barely above my waist in utthita hasta padangusthasana. I looked at that pose and immediately thought that my thick round thighs will never be strong enough to come out of the bent leg beginner's modification. 

I can now straighten my leg. And I know with time, effort and acceptance I will be able to bend forward in this pose and accomplish much more in my life. 

Acceptance is my motto for the new upcoming 27th year of my life. I made a promise to myself to learn to accept me as I am and to allow that acceptance to transform into love. And I knew this was a sincere and genuine promise to Soul as within that same day I was forced to accept in a way that was unimaginable to myself and family. 

Without acceptance, dedication and effort are futile. You may me the most dedicated person and put all of your efforts into the perfect single-pointed focus, but as long as that dedication and effort are directed towards the future, towards something that does not exist, without acceptance of the presence, you will remain stagnant, stuck and unchanged. Practice acceptance, now, it is the key to all progress.