Acceptance can mean various things; a very helpful definition has been proposed by Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy and according to it: “acceptance is about acknowledging something, without protesting it”. So, with this definition, accepting a problem means neither giving up, nor passively living with it; it means leaving behind all the “should-haves” & “could-haves” because they are not in line with reality.

Viewing a difficult situation as “a matter of fact” helps you respond better, because, when preoccupied with the “could-haves”, you cannot problem-solve. The best way to deal with a problem is to face it, process it and respond to it as favorably as possible, leaving resentment behind.

By asking yourself “What’s the best I can do within this context?” you can proceed.