Not long ago, I was in conversation with someone who was exploring a bigger version of her future. We were not talking about a new gadget or a short-term goal, but two life-long dreams. The kind of dreams that, if never lived, would weigh heavy at the very end.
As we explored, she shared how she was practicing “acceptance.” She was learning to deal with whatever life brought her way. Acceptance, contentment, gratitude. These are beautiful practices. They make us more resilient, they soften our struggles, they help us recognize the good that is already here.
But sometimes acceptance carries a hidden risk. When we get too content with things as they are, it is easy to drift into complacency. We might tell ourselves: “I should just be happy with what I have.” And in doing so, we quietly shut the door on what else could be possible.
What if the question is not acceptance or aspiration, but both?
I had a taste of this myself a few years ago, when I returned to playing paddle tennis. Each week, I played with the same three people. We lost nearly every match. I told myself it was fine, that I was having fun, moving my body, and spending time with friends. All of that was true.
Still, part of me was not satisfied. I knew I could get better. I knew that with some training, with lessons and effort, there was another version of me on the court, one that could win, one that could play with confidence. Without the aspiration to improve, I would never find that version of myself.
It was not about rejecting what was already good. It was about seeing that gratitude and ambition could exist together. I could accept my current level and aspire to more.
In coaching, this is often where the work begins. Learning to live with the things we cannot change while also creating the future we long for. Both truths can live in the same breath.
Buddhism teaches that our future is shaped in the present. The karma of tomorrow is born in the choices we make today. To accept what is does not mean to abandon creation. It means standing on the ground of gratitude while stretching toward possibility.
So maybe the deeper invitation is this:
Can you be thankful for what is already alive in your life, and still reach for the bigger version of yourself that you know is possible?