The first steps toward change in thought and behavior can be daunting and disorienting.  We lose our footing and stumble, and as we desperately reach for something to hold on to, we fall all the way back to square one.  Using these principles as handrails will facilitate your ascent toward dialectical thought and behavior.

Radical acceptance suggests acknowledging your present situation, whatever it is, without judging the events or criticizing yourself. Try to recognize that your present situation exists because of a long chain of events that began far in the past. Trying to fight the moment or deny whether the chain of events should have happened does nothing to change what has happened and can lead to more suffering.