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Episode Description:
Have you ever felt like “acceptance” meant staying silent, tolerating dysfunction, or giving up your right to want something different? You’re not alone. In this episode of Worthy of Work, host Stephanie Rivard unpacks one of the most misunderstood ideas in recovery and relationships: the difference between acceptance and tolerance — and how confusing the two can keep us stuck, sick, and silent.

Pulling from her own journey through toxic dynamics, recovery, and spiritual growth, Stephanie shares how this single word caused years of internal conflict… until she redefined it. You'll hear how she once believed “acceptance is the answer to all my problems” meant “tolerate bad behavior” — and why that belief was not only misleading but emotionally harmful.

Instead, Stephanie reclaims the concept of acceptance as facing reality — believing what’s true, not deciding yet what to do about it. Tolerance, she explains, is only one of many responses to reality… and not always the healthiest one.

• Why acceptance doesn’t mean you have to like or endure what’s happening

• The key difference between acceptance and tolerance (and why it matters)

• How misusing the word “acceptance” can keep you trapped in enabling, denial, and powerlessness

• What it really means to live in reality — and how that opens the door to new choices

Whether you’re navigating a relationship that leaves you doubting yourself, working through recovery, or simply trying to understand how to set healthier boundaries, this episode is for you.

Let’s clarify what acceptance actually is — so you can stop tolerating what’s intolerable and start moving toward clarity, choice, and healing.

🌀 Recovery-informed. Spiritually grounded. Straightforward and freeing.

This episode is for you if:

• You’ve struggled to know when to stay, when to go, or when to speak up

• You feel trapped by the idea that a “good” person just puts up with things

• You’ve ever misused spiritual language to justify dysfunction

• You want a clearer framework for dealing with hard realities and unhealthy people

Mentioned Concepts:
✔️ Acceptance as reality-checking
✔️ Tolerance as optional
✔️ Serenity Prayer
✔️ Enabling vs. Empowerment
✔️ Recovery mindset shift

💬 Let Stephanie know if this resonated by leaving a comment or review — or share this episode with someone who needs clarity on what they’re really “accepting.”

🎧 Want more on boundaries, character defects, and the tools of recovery? Subscribe and check out other episodes of Worthy of Work.

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