The Quiet Key to Overcoming

I used to think overcoming meant pushing harder, figuring it out faster, or finally “getting it right.”

But during my Master Coach Certification, I learned something entirely different:

Acceptance is what actually makes growth possible.

Each week, I was introduced to new concepts—powerful, nuanced, and often overwhelming. I wanted to grasp them quickly, to embody them with ease. Instead, I found myself stuck. There were moments when the overwhelm felt so intense that I would lay down on my office floor, trying to regulate what felt like too much coming at once.

Many times the overwhelm caused me to wonder if I would complete the certification; I was often tempted to not show up, or to discreetly leave our online classes. But I showed up, often with the camera off, lying on the floor.

My instructor never rushed me. She didn’t correct me with a list of what I “should” be doing. She didn’t measure my progress against a standard I hadn’t yet reached. Instead, she met me exactly where I was—week after week.

When I was brave enough to raise my hand for help, she gave me compassions and asked questions.

Gentle, curious, open-ended questions that helped her understand my experience, not fix it.

That acceptance changed everything. And something unexpected began to happen.

Over time, I noticed a shift. The same concepts that once overwhelmed me began to feel accessible. My capacity expanded—not because I forced it to, but because I was given the space to grow into it. Acceptance created safety. And safety made learning possible.

Why Acceptance Works

When we resist where we are, we create tension—mentally, emotionally, and physically. That tension narrows our ability to think clearly, to integrate new information, and to take aligned action.

Think of a large tree in a wind storm and the grass below it. The flexible grass beneath it bends and waves in the wind, the rigid tree is at risk of snapping or being blown over.

One of the reasons my Master Coach training felt so overwhelming is because I had been doing the rigid approach of "push harder, figure it out faster, and “get it right" for years and I was burned out; but I didn't recognize that until I learned more about the autonomic nervous system during that training.

Acceptance, on the other hand, widens our capacity. It tells our nervous system: You’re safe here. From that place, growth becomes sustainable.

Acceptance isn’t resignation. It’s not giving up. It’s acknowledging reality so that we can actually move through it.

Reflective Questions to Practice Acceptance

If you’re finding yourself overwhelmed or stuck, try asking yourself:

• What am I experiencing right now, without needing to change it?

• What feels most challenging about this moment?

• What would it look like to support myself here, instead of push myself?

  
  

These questions aren’t meant to solve the problem immediately. They’re meant to create understanding—and understanding is what softens resistance.

A Simple Somatic Practice for Acceptance

When overwhelm rises, your body often knows before your mind does. This practice can help you come back into a place of grounded acceptance:

1. Pause and Notice Sit or lie down (yes, even on the floor if that’s what your body needs). Bring awareness to your body.

2. Name What You Feel Gently label sensations: tight chest, heavy shoulders, shallow breath. No judgment—just noticing.

3. Breathe Into the Sensation Place a hand on the area that feels most activated. Take slow, steady breaths, imagining space around the sensation rather than trying to make it go away.

4. Offer Permission Silently say: This is allowed to be here. Notice what shifts—even slightly.

5. Stay for a Few Moments Give your body time to settle, even just 2–3 minutes. Let your nervous system recalibrate.

6. 
   

This practice isn’t about eliminating discomfort. It’s about learning to be with yourself in it—which is where true change begins.

Closing Thought

Looking back, I didn’t grow in spite of my overwhelm. I grew because I learned how to be accepted within it.

Acceptance isn’t the opposite of overcoming. It’s the way through.

Take Care,

Meredith

P.S. Acceptance is one of the components of breaking the cycle of self-criticism. Join me TOMORROW, April 14th at Noon, MDT for my free monthly mini-class.

REGISTER HERE https://live.zoho.com/jwar-wpm-ndv