A Word I Couldn't Pronounce Might Be the Key to Peace

One of my favorite books is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. In it, he mentions the topic of acquiescence.

I’m not sure that this is a word I could have defined prior to reading it there, but thinking of its implications now is a point of fascination for me.

Acquiescence, according to how Google defines it, is the reluctant acceptance of something without protest.

At first, this struck me as objectionable. Why accept some thing or condition that I clearly don’t enjoy? After all, the definition says I am reluctant to accept. Then, I got to thinking. There are plenty of things I do on a daily or weekly basis that I might offer unhelpful reluctance toward.

Examples include, but are certainly not limited to, the painful feeling that arrives at some point during a run, the need to get up when I am cozy in bed, and the wish that it was 40 degrees colder on a scorching summer afternoon. In each of these cases, there

Whether my reluctance relates to a self-imposed feeling, a responsibility, or a situation that sits entirely beyond me, not accepting it for what it is will set me back. It could rob me of the opportunity to persevere through a rewarding challenge or cause me to cry over spilled milk.

Acquiescence, even just the concept of it, has provided me a unique perspective that reminds me of the value of acceptance in becoming a grounded and pleasant human.