“Acceptance, she thinks, is the harshest lesson life teaches and the one most important to learn.” Rose Tremain, author from Music and Silence.

This quote really got me thinking. Acceptance is a very important lesson to learn as a leader – whether that’s acceptance of yourself, others, or the current environment. Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up. It means being less judgmental and kinder.

🤗 Acceptance is also one of the biggest take-aways from our leadership training. I think it’s because horses always accept us for who we are, which teaches us to accept in return. They are not judging us on anything superficial. They know nothing about the type of car we drive or what our title is – for a horse, it’s all about whether they feel safe to be with us. And I reckon that’s how we humans want to feel as well.

However, sometimes without someone – like a horse – to help us reach acceptance it can indeed be a harsh lesson.

Have you ever felt not accepted? Have you ever not accepted someone for who they are? What did you learn from this experience?