The Real Work with Maggie Sterling 20 - What Acceptance Actually Looks Like (It's Not What You Think)
Dec 29, 2025
Acceptance isn’t about affirmations or feeling calm—it's letting go of the urge to fix your symptoms. Addressing nervous system dysregulation takes precedence over symptom-chasing. Real acceptance allows for living life even amidst discomfort, reducing the instinct to constantly monitor or control. Subtracting compulsive behaviors and urgency creates space for recalibration. Maggie offers a checklist to help you discern true acceptance from mere intellectualization. It’s all about softening resistance and embracing the now.
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Acceptance Is Not An Active Tool
- Acceptance is what happens when you stop trying to do anything about the symptom.
- It's not a tool you apply to the symptom and it won't work if you keep trying to fix it.
Stop Scanning — Live With Symptoms Present
- Give up the fight by stopping constant monitoring, scanning, and solving for symptoms.
- Let the symptom be loud in the background while you reengage with life activities.
Cinnamon Rolls Over Research
- Maggie describes choosing to bake cinnamon rolls and play with family despite intense symptoms.
- She used 'fake it till you make it' to rebuild presence and trust in her nervous system.