Dr. David Burns

And are those thoughts a reason for suicide or a reason for celebration? That's the issue. And when you get acceptance, it's not like a death warrant. It's like a celebration of birth. You wake up in a whole new universe. You've changed and the whole world around you has changed.

But in unhealthy acceptance, you think it means giving up, never being able to find meaning or specialness or joy in living. And it's something you have to experience to understand. It's like seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. And when you see the Grand Canyon, it takes your breath away. And you might have seen it on TV. You might have seen postcards of it.

But in unhealthy acceptance, you think it means giving up, never being able to find meaning or specialness or joy in living. And it's something you have to experience to understand. It's like seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. And when you see the Grand Canyon, it takes your breath away. And you might have seen it on TV. You might have seen postcards of it.

But you have no idea what it's like until you see it. I remember the first time I saw it, it just took my breath away. I said, I heard there was a hole in the ground, but I had no idea this is what they were talking about. It's majestic beyond belief, really. And that's what the first, the moment you get acceptance, it's that kind of experience.

But you have no idea what it's like until you see it. I remember the first time I saw it, it just took my breath away. I said, I heard there was a hole in the ground, but I had no idea this is what they were talking about. It's majestic beyond belief, really. And that's what the first, the moment you get acceptance, it's that kind of experience.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah. I'm dancing.

Yeah. I'm dancing.

And by the way, I'm recording from our new recording studio in old Palo Alto. And I've got three cameras on me and all kinds of lights and stuff. It's pretty cool. This is our fourth time recording. We're recording stuff for the app and stories to publish on YouTube. And we've been having a lot of fun with it. Jeremy, Matt, was with us on all four of our recording sessions.

And by the way, I'm recording from our new recording studio in old Palo Alto. And I've got three cameras on me and all kinds of lights and stuff. It's pretty cool. This is our fourth time recording. We're recording stuff for the app and stories to publish on YouTube. And we've been having a lot of fun with it. Jeremy, Matt, was with us on all four of our recording sessions.

And we're both really, really excited about it. We're trying to get all the David stories recorded. And we've already recorded 20 stories.

And we're both really, really excited about it. We're trying to get all the David stories recorded. And we've already recorded 20 stories.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Do you feel joy or do you feel despair? Do you feel laughter or do you feel cynicism? Do you feel close to others, or do you feel alone on an island? Are you comfortable being vulnerable and open, or are you hiding your feelings behind a false front? It's questions like that. Unhealthy acceptance is the same as severe depression, and healthy acceptance is like healthy joy and liberation.

Do you feel joy or do you feel despair? Do you feel laughter or do you feel cynicism? Do you feel close to others, or do you feel alone on an island? Are you comfortable being vulnerable and open, or are you hiding your feelings behind a false front? It's questions like that. Unhealthy acceptance is the same as severe depression, and healthy acceptance is like healthy joy and liberation.

They're actually the opposite feelings. I have a table in the class on acceptance in the app, and there's about seven or eight contrasts. You know, in unhealthy acceptance, you feel ashamed. You feel defective. And in healthy acceptance, you feel whole. You feel joy. You feel excitement about life.

They're actually the opposite feelings. I have a table in the class on acceptance in the app, and there's about seven or eight contrasts. You know, in unhealthy acceptance, you feel ashamed. You feel defective. And in healthy acceptance, you feel whole. You feel joy. You feel excitement about life.

And these words won't allow you to understand what healthy acceptance is, but they're just words that will let you know when you're there and when you're not. But most people, when they think of acceptance of yourself or others or the world, they think about the unhealthy version, so they're afraid of it.