To accept is to embrace something completely, without judgment or conditions. “I accept my laziness, except when it costs me my job” is not acceptance. Radical Acceptance invites you to say, “I accept being lazy. I will not try and fix my laziness. I love myself as a lazy person. Even when my laziness costs me something important, I accept being lazy.” I can hear the collective gasp. You may be thinking that this is insane. Don’t worry, it is insane; insanity that works.

I wish to remind the group that RA maintains that I am responsible for my actions and the consequences of those actions. When I say yes to being lazy, I can see the many ways I am already lazy, but have been denying that laziness. Then I can accept responsibility for more of my actions/choices. If I lose a job due to my laziness, I see clearly how my choices led to the consequence of being out of work.

When I cannot accept the laziness, this process happens, but unconsciously. Suddenly I am out of work and I have no idea why. I do not know why because, failing to accept laziness, my lazy choices have happened underground, unconsciously.

What happens in RA is that being aware of being lazy, I see my possible choices and begin to make new ones. This happens through awareness and acceptance. I see a choice that may lead to losing my job and say, "Wow that is a lazy choice and one that could lead to job loss. I like paying rent, so I am going to make a different choice."