The total or partial reproduction, retransmission, copying and/or redistribution of this book’s content in any medium, used without the written consent of the owner, is totally prohibited.

The following story is explained based on the author’s perspective on his understanding of the described topics. This book is not intended to fix, diagnose, and/or cure, so the use and application of the material in this book is the sole responsibility of the reader.

Copyright 2020 – Ricardo Martínez

Illustrated by Anais Vaillant.

BIOGRAPHY

Since I was a child, I have been aware of a world beyond the physical. I also had sensitivity to that energetic world that we call spiritual. Those Gifts helped me see that my life purpose had to do with awakening people’s conscience, contributing to providing them with a better quality of life with a lower level of pain and a higher level of happiness.

Over the years, this led me on a journey of teaching and creating self-help courses, systems, and materials for people to awaken their consciousness and achieve their purposes in life with a higher level of peace, enjoyment, and harmony.

With the help of earthly teachers and the guidance of spiritual masters, I was able to gain clarity to move forward in my own life and gained greater wisdom on how to continue to contribute to the quality of life of others. This is how the Acceptance Technique was born. I use it nowadays and share it with many people in different countries to awaken their consciousness of love, peace, and happiness.

I’m passionate about what I do. Through the teachings of the Acceptance Technique, I continue to contribute to the awakening of people and embarking on this journey to a destination where peace, love, well-being, and happiness predominate.

Ricardo Martinez
Acceptance Technique Founder

The Inner Universe

The cold penetrated Isabel’s bones; she knew it could be warmer in the car, but she had reached her final destination, and after the big jump, there would be no more cold or heat.

She heard the sound of the river under her feet, with visions of the bridge growing farther and farther as she descended –she thought of a flock of pigeons saving her from her fate. Still, she was the only one who could control how that day would end, and it would be washed away by the icy waters, almost twenty meters below.

Isabel wondered when would be the famous moment when she began to remember her wanderings in life; if there was going to be a moment of regret, it’d better be now, but without a reason to wake up another day, Isabel now thought that nothing made sense anymore.

That day she was going to commit suicide.

She had a strange combination of thoughts in her head, and compared the experience to pulling a band-aid from the wound on your knee. It would hurt like hell because of the glue taking the hair with it, but the more you think about it, the worse it will be.

But it was her life, for heaven’s sake; it wasn’t a mere impulse or something like that; it was the ‘last steps.’ No one had asked her if she wanted to live in the first place, so now she was going to take the bull by the horns and decide if she was going to put an end or not. And the answer had been clear for a long time, only that Isabel preferred to ignore it so as not to give satisfaction to that mentality that drove her to chaos, or instead that made chaos a constant in her life.

So much to bear, and such a small person. Isabel said that she would regret that decision the next day, but there would be no the next day after that.

She took off her shoes, nauseous out of the nerves; vertigo had never been her friend, and this time would be no different.

“There is a way.”

“No, there is not.”

“There is not because you don’t want to see beyond. You’re stuck, and you need something to keep you grounded. Do you like to learn to manage your emotions, put anger aside, and see another way out?”

“Who are you?”

“I’ll take that as a yes. I will wait for you when you decide.”

When the man turned around, in a mere impulse to reach for his shoulder, Isabel slipped off the bridge’s edge, her foot falling into space. It was fortunate that she could hold onto the railing. Maybe it wasn’t going to be a slip that took her into the void. Still, when she felt her nails embedded in the stone on edge, she knew there was a moment, a tiny instant in which she worried about not dying; to stay alive. To have one more breath, quite the opposite of Isabel from just a few minutes ago.

Before uttering any words, Isabel looked around, only to find a trail of fog that covered even her parked car. For brief moments she thought she did jump off and went to heaven, seeing an angel by her side, but each step felt so natural and devoid of transition to the afterlife. She believed it was a dream or her mind sabotaging the suicide. Went to her car, put on her shoes, and cried; she cried like never before in her entire life, more than with any fall, push, break, or betrayal. Isabel flood so much from her poor eyes that she thought she would never see again without a sea of ​​tears in front of her.

She checked the glove compartment to see if there was anything to chew on, gum or some candy. The knot in her stomach turned into a void. She wanted to fill it up as soon as possible to calm her anxiety, even if it was just biting something, but there were other plans for Isabel.

She flopped down on the seat, finding a gum stick and a small cream card. Upon checking, it had some letters in a very careful typeface, with a text that revealed a direction and a phrase: Learn the Acceptance Technique now.

It hadn’t been an illusion, and for the first time in years, Isabel wanted to take one more breath.

CHAPTER 1

Isabel knew she wouldn’t have an easy life when she saw her mom walking out the front door, this being the last time she would be with her. For days she asked what happened, but given the lack of answers, she thought that her mother simply went buying something without telling anyone –a gift for her. For years, Isabel continued with the childish thought that at any moment, her mom would be entering through the same door saying, “surprise!” That never happened, but little could the five-year-old Isabel know.

Her childhood was like a roller coaster that kept falling, starting with her father. Years later, Isabel understood that her father’s high-sounding behaviors weren’t common among dads (or average men). They were only consequences of drunkenness that began in his youth, and never knew when to stop. When the anger outbursts came, her father lit cigarettes and extinguished the matches’ fire with his fingertips, rinsing them with abundant saliva. One day he told little Isabel that she could do the same, but only managed to make her little fingers come out burned and blackish; that caused her problems when she had to give her first fingerprints on the IDs, but at the time, Isabel thought she had made a mistake on her side. She even couldn’t do that well (told to herself), and therefore, she was a failure to her dad.

When her mom was absent, and at the father’s insistence for a female figure to surround the house, Isabel had to clean, cook, shop, and everything while attending an only-girls’ school in the city. This greatly affected Isabel’s performance in class. Low marks were translated into scolding from her father, more errands and chores, less time to study, and the cycle restarted. There were nights when Isabel went to bed crying, thinking that at any moment, a blue fairy godmother would come to rescue her, or at least a prince on his steed, who would cross the starry skies to take her to the moon.

They never left the city, but explored it from head to toe; they ate in every street, took photos of every corner, and told all the jokes they knew (which weren’t many on Isabel’s side). Isabel had never been so happy in her entire life; suddenly, the romantic movies and love texts that she read took on a new meaning, and Isabel thought that was what anyone feels at least once in their life. She even meditated on the possibility of a new family; living with Matias becoming better and more solid.

She remembered how she had received a call from her father one day, commenting on how a neighbor died. He irritated Isabel with comments such as that it didn’t matter much since the guy was (in his father’s words) a closet fag.

“Dad, don’t say that; he was a human being like me and you.”

“Anyway, it was just some gossip. And how has everything been in the city? Can you lend me some greens?”

“What about the money I gave you two days ago?”

“Your aunt Aurora came; I had to make an emergency lunch for her.”

“Well…”

Matias stopped her, saying why she was bowing down to him if she knew well that her aunt Aurora had been in Spain for two years. She replied that it was better not to claim her father, but Matias didn’t understand how she could give so much power to someone else being so far away. She said it was a respect thing, but he told her that it wasn’t a valid reason to be abusive. In fact, there wasn’t a valid reason for it.

Isabel felt that Matias gave her stability, that he was the cornerstone of her mind, and that she would be lost without him. She didn’t know how people could have mental strength without a Matias in their life.

It was a Thursday when she received a call from Matias’s work. They told her that an accident occurred in the loading area, causing several racks to fall suddenly; there were even two deaths in the process, and unfortunately, one of them wouldn’t be accompanying her to dinner that night.

Isabel wept like never before in her life. She thought she was returning to being a helpless little girl in the jaws of a city ready to eat her alive. She didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

She lamented so much that she spent days without eating a bite, which affected her performance in her job. Her boss said that the warning season was over and that he couldn’t afford such a worker with much regret. He wouldn’t like to fire her, but she accepted his words in a good way and told herself that she would go home with her father.

Indeed, life seemed to lose color again. She didn’t understand how to survive alone, and less than alone, with bad company. Her father was indifferent to her situation (the only expressiveness he showed was in the form of ‘and where’s dinner, gurl?’). Isabel believed at one point that it was no longer worth waking up in the morning.

She tried going out with old friends but had accomplished so much in the capital that now she didn’t feel comfortable even in her own home. She met new faces and even went out with other men (of course, it happened at least two years after Matias’ death when her friends insisted that she should try to get back to her life). She was young and couldn’t afford to remain stagnant. She started dating Leo, with whom she felt new emotions, a little more intense than the relaxed state that Matias gave her. It was like firing a gun for the first time, only she always felt that way, and at times she was overwhelmed by so much intensity; sometimes, she just wanted to be lying on the couch, watching a series, or walking in the park.

Leo helped her get a new job. It was in a small insurance company. Although she wasn’t earning as well even as a waitress, at least it kept her distracted enough to forget the low points of her life.

For her first four months, she wanted to do something nice to Leo; Isabel bought him a small heart-shaped cake, with an L + I, along with some other goodies and the occasional letter made up of photo clippings. But just when she got to Leo’s house earlier, she found her Romeo in the hands of another lady, the one she once considered a friend, and took her advice to move on with her life. The reaction was short, just a “how could you?” that destroyed the hearts of both perpetrators and ran to her own house, where, instead of looking for consolation from his father, she just locked herself in her bedroom, never thinking of leaving that space safe.

The next day came a dismissal letter from the company, alleging inappropriate office behavior. Isabel dared to sue them but preferred to keep a low profile, taking her compensation (a minor consideration that went under the table between negotiations). But now, she was more stranded than ever, and her morale was as low as the fall that lay under the bridge she passed every day when she left her house.

That gave her an idea that a week later, she would be putting into action.

Of course, she would get drunk first before taking the big leap on the bridge. Isabel drank the entire bottle of her father’s rum with no regard for retaliation; after all, she wouldn’t be in that world by the end of the day.

Little would she know about a visit from an unusual person, and while her tears gnawed at her cheeks, stinging like tiny icy needles, she pondered whether at some point that day she had made the right decision. There was only one thing for sure: Isabel wanted to keep breathing to search for an answer.

CHAPTER 2

Isabel had the card on her nightstand. She was still shivering from the cold, and nervous at the thought of what would have happened that night. Analyzed every second of her encounter with the man and looked for a greater purpose on it. She remembered when she began to feel the first signs of what could be chronic depression at the doors of Matias’s funeral. She met the priest who led the Mass to say goodbye her life’s only good man, and he told her that the Lord had a plan for all of us in His great wisdom, so she began attending support groups.

She found groups for all kinds of people; from alcoholics to people with particular sexual tastes. All gathered to hang and cry on each other’s shoulders. She sat in the circle for weeks, but the more she listened to the people around her, the more she got depressed. Isabel knew cases of couples getting cheated, young people who thought that drug trafficking was the only option to get out, and mothers who would only see their children a couple of times in their life for whatever reason they had, spying on them from afar, from the home that adopted their kids.

The night after hearing those cases, she thought about the idea of ​​being a mother, something she hadn’t thought about much since she was a child. Thinking of having a child in her womb, then dressing it, feeding it, and raising it to maturity was fanciful, like having a pony, something that could happen, but nothing easy to achieve. Isabel spent sleepless nights thinking about what life would have been like with Matias by her side, only to remember in the mornings that her imagination could surpass her. It was when she met Leo, and in the blink of an eye, the situation changed. After the bitter outcome at another woman’s hands, she thought to give up all hope of a better future.

On Monday, she would go first thing in the morning to the address indicated on the card. Isabel planned not to say anything to her father, and that it would be her last attempt to make things better. She was tired of alternatives that could please her, but the mentality of trying as many times as necessary instead of throwing everything away was solid. A remarkable change was already showing, and she wanted to believe that this was the work of the bridge man, however fanciful it sounded.

Isabel was counting the minutes to start the car and leave. When the long-awaited day arrived, she didn’t know what to do right at the gates of some spacious and open-air grounds. It was as if she was frozen at the good news, but she found a bit of stability and touched the communicator on the entrance gate.

“Good morning,” she was greeted by a shrill voice on the comlink, “How can I help you?”

“Good morning, uh…excuse me, I’m here to see…” She realized that she didn’t know the man’s name. “Someone gave me this address; a short man, dark hair.”

“The Master?” The voice now sounded excited. “Of course, he told me you would come. I need your name, please.”

“It’s Isabel.”

The gate doors opened, and Isabel found a dirt road leading to a hill house. It had tiles that looked like times before her grandparents and decorations so beautiful that she had difficulty assimilating the site to the little man of the bridge. She thought it would be a waste to be blind and miss out on such a spectacle.

A young lady in an apron received her; she looked like one of those American magazine wives, who received her with well-painted lips despite being ten in the morning. Isabel parked in front of the house and greeted the girl.

“Good morning, Isabel. I hope you are well.”

“Good morning, it’s a pleasure.”

“I’m Carmelita; pleasure is mine. Please come in. Would you like a cup of coffee, water, tea?”

“I’m fine; maybe I’ll ask for water in a while.”

“Follow me; the Master is in the courtyard, meditating.”

She walked around the edges of the house until finding a finely manicured Zen garden with a hammock in the middle of two threes.

The Master was wrapped in a cloth cocoon, eyes closed, in a state of total concentration. Isabel thought it looked like a painting by some famous artist trying to represent serenity. Of course, the whole scene fell apart when she heard the first snoring. He was sleeping.

Carmelita went to the Master, giving him gentle touches to wake him up with a bit of embarrassment.

He woke up forcefully, showing off radiant teeth without opening his eyes.

“Excuse me, Carmelita, I was in the middle of the Technique, and seeing that I had nothing else to do, I decided to rest; one thing led to another, and well…I see there is company.”

“Good morning, I’m…”

“I knew you would come,” the Master got up slowly.

“Excuse me?”

“In his situation, I would know that sooner or later, you would be at the doors of my house. I’m glad it was soon. Now tell me, how can I help you?”

“I was hoping you would tell me.”

“I don’t know anything about you; just that a while ago, you tried to make a mistake. If you want to get out of your suffering, you will have to tell me about yourself.”

“Well, I…”

“But not here, haha! Let’s go inside. Carmelita, have you already offered something to our guest?”

Carmelita nodded, and gave her hand for him to take it.

They went to the dining room, which Isabel found was as or more beautiful than the outside. She sat on a very comfortable sofa and saw how the Master sat opposite her. He took a breath and turned to Isabel again.

“Now, tell me about yourself. I’m all ears,” the Master lightened the atmosphere a bit with humor.

This was the trigger for Isabel to start her scheduled speech. For years she had collected all her experiences and assimilated them in a single conversation that she now fluently narrated to the Master. He was steady in the furniture, to the point where Isabel thought he was falling asleep; even so, she didn’t stop in the history.

Once she reached the part on the bridge, Isabel made a pause. She wasn’t aware of the moment when the tears had begun to flow. It was the home of a complete stranger, yet it opened her soul so naturally that it seemed almost vulgar. She felt vulnerable and considered leaving the site as soon as she said the last few sentences. Her eyes were tired from crying all her life, and now she hoped she was at the mercy of a so-needed answer.

“I understand…” said the Master, knowing when Isabel had finished speaking. “Your solution is straightforward, in fact. I went through similar experiences in my youth.”

“Seriously?” Isabel was skeptical.

“Maybe not the same specific problems, but problems with my inner universe.”

“With what?”

“I see that you’re not familiar with our universes, much less with the Acceptance Technique, I suppose.”

“No, I haven’t heard about it.”

“In that case, I will gladly show it to you. It may be the solution to your problems, as long as you agree to use it consistently.”

“I would like to first learn what it is.”

“Naturally. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear; that’s why I found you on the bridge. Before we begin, let me tell you a little about myself…”

CHAPTER 3

I started my journey years after losing my sight. I don’t know if it will surprise you, but I didn’t come to this world in the middle of darkness; shapes and colors were taken from my physical perception after a painful accident. I was a scientist when I was young, with great ideas for the future of the world, you know, what all naive scientists dream of. We all want to win the Nobel, to be the next face of magazines, the subject of millions of essays, with young people exploring our life beyond our own knowledge. I never considered being more wrong; I recall the past and I laugh at myself.

I also hit rock bottom like you. My twelve-year marriage was shattered after my accident. It seems that caring for a blind person is a heavy burden for some, and I’m not looking to blame since trading shoes helps to reduce the pain.

I lost my job due to injustices. Although I was good at what I did, the lab didn’t mind spending a few bucks for the comforts of a disabled man (I’ve never liked that word, ‘disabled,’ for God’s sake, even without my arms or legs, I’m capable of doing, feeling and living), so they let me go like a dove in the square.

I was alone, even metaphorically. Had nowhere to go or to be with, and well…the response was funny, funny and disturbing. At the time, (don’t ask me how because I didn’t even know it myself), I ended up in the middle of a square, leaning on my cane, listening carefully to those things happening around me. I could feel the breeze next to me and how it stopped when I found another figure obstructing it.

He introduced himself to me in a soft voice, the same way I tried to address you on the bridge. He told me if I was okay, to which I answered ‘yes.’ He asked me one more time, and this time I thought my answer better. He knew I wasn’t right, but he didn’t want to admit it. He told me that he could teach me a method by which I could feel better if I liked the idea, but first, I had to guarantee him that I would follow in his footsteps no matter what, and guess what my answer was…

I told him he was a nut! Can you believe it? To my own master! I’m ashamed to just remember it, but I guess that had to happen. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

He took it well, just insisted with a laugh, and it was this sound that made me change my mind. It’s amazing how little importance we give to things as simple as sound. For me, it was a whole different perspective, and if I had had a vision, I don’t think I would have accepted; it may be true that things have to happen for a reason. I asked him about this method he was talking about, and he took me to a kind of Buddhist temple; my memories fail a bit, but it’s not that I want to think much about the matter. I just want to remember what really matters: the lessons of our universes.

There are two universes, my master explained to me; the first corresponds to the external universe, made up of all the matter we know and can physically perceive. It’s governed by Newtonian laws, what you can understand as life itself, from the moment we open our eyes until we close them. For example: if we open the bathroom faucet, we have two options, either we get water, or we don’t get water, and even if dirt comes out, or even a spider, as happened to me a few days ago, haha, I mean we know very well how the dynamic works. The same as if we light a candle, jump into a pool, or eat a sandwich.

However, the matter is complicated when it comes to the inner universe, because it’s not known to everyone. Although the external one is governed by Newtonian physical laws, you find its principles in quantum physics, mentioned for the first time by scientist Max Planck in his laboratory. He proved that the universe and every element in it have a specific vibratory frequency. Our actions alter these frequencies, producing effects that we may or may not control.

Think of it as a stream of water. Each vibration causes it to move to a different side, and from this arise the experiences that we go through in our lives. Positive or negative thoughts can alter these vibrations as well. If you don’t trust me, just touch your chest. You will notice that if you are upset, your heart will beat faster, making us impulsive, making wrong decisions, or seeing less than what we have in front of us.

It could be said that everything we have gone through in this life has been experiences generated by our vibrations in the inner universe. The energy is transmitted to other situations, people, animals, and objects. They have an effect on them that may or may not be the desired one. Whatever comes into your life, it existed first in your inner universe.

I like the examples, and to put it better, just think that you’re watching a movie in the cinema; you don’t like the film, so you decide to go to the screen and try to change it violently. You are trying to change the outer universe; it will be impossible to do something about it because the real change lies in the projector, which you cannot easily reach.

There are ways, or rather ‘levels,’ in which people find themselves concerning their universes. I would like to explain more about it, but first I need to know what you think of all this. As my master did with me, I would like to calmly repeat the journey you are about to go through. It can help you as long as you have the will to.

(Isabel seemed withdrawn as if something inside her wasn’t letting express her interest to continue.)

It’s okay to have doubts, but we can solve it with a little more talk. So what do you say?

“Well,” said Isabel, reluctantly, keeping a question inside her. She asked him about…

“About the spider in the faucet?” The Master replied with a big laugh. “If it weren’t for Carmelita, I might still be lying in bed, but I’m not discouraged. You’re not here to know the spider anecdote, which I can tell you in due course if you like. You came to learn the great Acceptance Technique!”

CHAPTER 4

“What?” Isabel looked quite confused.

“The Acceptance Technique; my master taught it to me, and I think it can be very beneficial to you.”

It was a lot to process; only a few minutes ago, Isabel had come to the house of a complete stranger, and now he was telling her about inner and outer universes.

“Is this some kind of cult?”

“Of course, don’t you see all my followers in the garden?”

Isabel observed the garden, but she only saw many flowers blown away by the wind, showing serenity and calm. The man laughed heartily.

“I don’t need eyes to see your reaction, hahaha. Calm down, this is nothing to worry about, it’s just… let’s say ‘another way to make coffee’ or start changing the tires from the other side. It’s a mental technique that will help you manage your emotions,” just at that moment, Carmelita was arriving with a cup of tea for the man, who seemed very excited. “You know, I would like you to imagine your inner universe as a cup of tea. You’re walking with it, and suddenly someone pushes you, spilling the tea everywhere, even a little drops fall on you, and I’m tell you…it wasn’t iced tea. Now I ask, what happened?”

“Someone pushed me, and my drink spilled; I don’t understand.”

After taking a small sip, the Master replied that she was wrong.

“But… that’s what you told me; I had the cup, someone pushed me, and that’s why I dropped it.”

The Master cleared his throat and replied slowly.

“You spilled your tea because you had tea in your cup. If you had coffee, you would have spilled coffee.”

“Yeah, but now I’m full of tea and annoyed by the pushing.”

“Life is what pushes, pushed, and will push you; the contents of the cup, that is, your inner universe, can be full of peace and happiness or hatred and resentment; whatever it contains is what you will spill in life.”

“It would bother me if it spilled.”

“In that case, the cup would be full of hatred and resentment. The content of the cup is your responsibility since you will respond in this way to the blows and pushing that life gives you.”

“I’ve tried to do the best I can, but I don’t know how to have control over anything. Life…people around me always tell me how to act.”

Isabel’s eyes began to water, she apologized for it, but the Master told her that he didn’t care in the least. He said that it was different for him because everything around told him how to act. The first few days he began to walk without his sight, the Master felt that everything was a potential danger, that someone was going to attack him, or that he would fall into a void. The Master understood that if someone attacked him, he would soon forget what happened and that if he fell or scraped, he would eventually heal. It was the perspective that changed because it was himself altering his inner universe.

“You said something about asleep, awake, or something like that, didn’t you? What’s that?”

“Excellent question,” the Master raised his eyebrows; Isabel’s interest excited him, although this was only limited to asking. “Those are the consciousness levels. There are three levels: sleeping, awake and enlightened.”

“I think I could consider myself awake, at least.”

As Carmelita appeared to pick up the Master’s cup of tea, she couldn’t help but giggle a little, followed by the Master’s.

“What’s so funny?” Isabel seemed alluded to.

“No, we’re not making fun of you,” clarified the Master. “It’s just that you’re far from being an awake person. You’re currently in the sleeping state because you’re unaware of what is happening inside you, beliefs, sensations, and internal vibrations; all of this is projected into the outer universe, and a sleeping person is only aware of this. The awakened person can perceive and understand the inner universe.

“That? Impossible; I am aware of everything that happens to me. It’s not my fault that whatever happens to me is bad.”

“Bad, according to you.”

“If the person you love the most in life dies or you’re not supported by the person who is supposed to do it, how would you feel?”

“Death as such is change, not loss, and if a person doesn’t support me, he or she may not be the one who should support me. We live in a world with over seven billion individuals; I think you can find someone you can get along with.”

“Like who?”

“Unlike me, you can see it, and it’s in front of you.”

Isabel was silent; now, the master had her full attention.

“As I was saying…the awake level isn’t difficult to reach, but many of us choose not to do it, either because of anger, annoyance, resentment, and more. Awakened people manage to perceive their inner universe and everything around them. The vibrations are molded to their will, and you don’t know the pleasure this gives Miss Isabel. It will remove you from a victim status and will put you on a pedestal where you will gladly shine.”

“So what is the enlightened state about?”

The Master gave her a smile again. “It’s when you are already full. You can have one hundred percent peace of mind and control; nothing can affect you, or rather, you can adapt to situations.”

“Is it all part of this ‘Acceptance Technique’?”

“Those are the states of consciousness. The Technique is a mental introspection tool that helps us grow and change states. It can remove the suffering and put you from the edge of a bridge to your master’s comfortable room.”

“Me…?”

“Exactly, I can teach you everything I know.”

“Wow, I didn’t think it was that kind of lesson.”

“Every lesson has its reward, but the greatest of them will be…”

“What? Will I have to dress up in weird robes and make weird chants or something?”

“I see that you insist on humor; I’ll want to see that same commitment tomorrow when we discuss ego, what keeps you from seeing beyond you currently are.”

“Isn’t ego our vain part?”

“It’s a way of saying, although, in this aspect, the ego is the personality that we create throughout our lives, our perception of who we are. It’s the thing that watches our life go by, and it’s not a fan of changes, because it feels that they affect our peace of mind. The sleeping person only sees him or herself in the mirror, but the awakened person manages to see beyond. See your inner self. When you act through life with your ego in front of you, you struggle with stress, suffering, and lack of awareness; people are looking for a way to eliminate these problems. Drugs, alcohol, junk food, casual meetings, but deep down we know they don’t fill us up; some try something more radical, thinking that nothing will change if they don’t make that last attempt.”

Isabel was crestfallen. She felt reprimanded for her attitude on the bridge. She asked if there would be a change by acting from the inner being, and the Master told her that this was correct. The inner being provides a perception that goes beyond the little sight that the outer being has. It was like putting on glasses and noticing that there is much more to the image, more details, objects, people.

Ego would put resistance, because it doesn’t like changes; the Master commented that if at some point (even now) she had a hint of doubt or thought to throw all those words overboard, it was the ego acting after itself. Vanity, some may call it, but it was only a mechanism with which we limited ourselves; we chained ourselves to a small, sad world. A cup of bitter tea.

“I have some things to do today, and I see that we get a little ahead of the ego issue,” the Master smiled at ease. “If you want, you can pass by again tomorrow, and we will gladly continue.” The Master got up, calling Carmelita to guide her.

“Actually, I would like to learn more. Or I don’t know, maybe not, it’s confusing. I feel like I learned everything at once.”

“You’re nothing more than a simple blind person learning how to walk again. Trust me.”

Those words brought her down; Isabel felt that she had the worst life in the world, but now was faced with a possible solution that, if she failed or couldn’t move forward, she had nothing to lose, only her time, and she had already shown that she was willing to lose more than just time in search for an answer.

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” she said decisively, “I’d like to hear a little more. Just don’t ask me for some madness in return.”

“Madness? Who do you take me for? Haha. As a child, they told me I was wild at school, but now I feel that this craziness gives me the greatest peace in the world.”

The Master (despite not knowing what Isabel was like, perhaps not even knowing what the place where he was standing was like, in the middle of a casual chat) gave Isabel one of the biggest smiles she had ever seen in life. It was a smile full of happiness, free of regret; she was in front of a person who trusted in himself, that every word that came out of his mouth emitted wisdom and hope. For a moment, Isabel wanted that happiness.

They said goodbye politely, and Isabel came home dizzy. She was very confused by everything that happened. She felt like she was in a movie and remembered the conversation about the inner universe, the levels of consciousness, and ego. A constant movement of her leg proved she was nervous, and she had a hard time falling asleep that night, but deep down, she knew she wasn’t. A new world was opening before her, a possibility that could help her.

After many years, Isabel was excited.

CHAPTER 5

The morning was calm, cold, and Isabel felt more nervous than yesterday. She was talking on the communicator again, and the gate opened for her.

She went straight to the living room, where the Master was waiting anxiously. As soon as she passed the threshold of the door, he reached out her hand and shook it. The Master told her that he was happy to meet her again. He offered breakfast, but she said she had eaten already (other than not wanting to bother). He told that she was missing out on Carmelita’s world-famous scrambled eggs, but on another occasion, she would taste them. If she had no further problems, they could begin the teachings. Isabel gave her approval, and the Master asked her how she felt.

She replied that she was fine, but he asked if she really felt good, whole, wanting to work and be a better person. Isabel nodded, but he told her that there was a way to know if one felt fine. It was the beginning and application of the Acceptance Technique.

“There are four steps of the technique, which will be easy for you to learn and practice. The first is to Identify.”

The Master explained that this was a time of an intense and profound reflection. We must review the external universe and become aware of our surroundings, problems, conflicts, and concerns. It’s easy to say that everything is right or wrong, but when we delve deeper into it, we realize that something steals our inner peace.

The second step was Observation. We close our eyes and visualize these outer situations or experiences in our inner universe. It’s about transporting these situations from one universe to another.

Then we must apply the third step, Connect, that is, we let go the resistance, and we voluntarily join with that experience to live and feel it fully. Once this is achieved, the fourth step arrives, concerning Acceptance, where you remain conscious, feeling that situation until you obtain peace.

“This technique is like learning a martial art, just as powerful for the body as it is for the mind. And just like going to a gym, you have to practice consistently until you see the results. Instead of using the ego as a method to solve our problems, we will use ourselves as quantum observers to recognize and heal these stressful situations. Yesterday you told me about your life, about the chaos that seems to reign over it, but I was listening to the story of a victim, someone who felt disconnected from those situations, tackling her like a baseball player trying to catch ten balls at the same time.”

The Master told her that she shouldn’t feel bad about this because not many people notice these changes and don’t know how to solve them. He commented on how many people think that empty solutions such as money, alcohol, or excesses seem like a momentary answer to problems, but when you are living in the largest penthouse, at the end of the bottle or under a bridge, problems will still be there; there is no proper resolution.

They had already talked about the levels of consciousness, but now they would go into the practices to reach them. The Master gave her an example of this.

“Look inside yourself, Isabel, and tell me what the problem that causes you the most suffering is.”

Isabel took a while to answer; she tried to concentrate her words to not embarrass herself in front of the Master.

“Don’t overthink,” he told, “it’s something simple. Tell me what grieves you the most.”

“I guess it’s the feeling of loneliness. To think that there’s no one there for me.”

“That’s a problem of the outer universe, although it’s only a projection of your interior. Close your eyes.” Isabel let herself be carried away. “Visualize the problem. Look at yourself facing it, or at least in the middle of that scenario; what do you see?”

“I see myself in the dark.”

“And what do you feel?”

“Pain, sadness, my chest gets hot.”

“That is the same vibration that you project on the outside, which makes you attract more pain. We must…”

“Change the vibration.”

“Well, it’s better to eliminate it completely. I’m not going to sow any more seeds in a land that is not prosperous; I better go somewhere else.”

Isabel reflected on these words, but in reality, they filled her with anger. She tried to live the best way she could all her life, doing what was asked and letting herself go with the flow, but now that didn’t seem to be enough. The sound of weeping showed the Master how angry she was. She replied that she always tried to be the best person, but nothing good happened after that. When the Master tried to calm her down, she got up annoyed and went to the exit. It had all been a mistake.

In the courtyard, Isabel was rethinking everything, and her hopes were diminished by the warm words of the Master. Just before getting into her car, Carmelita ran out to look for her.

“Isabel, where are you going?” She made minor stumbles when walking.

“Home. I don’t want to bother you anymore.”

“Not at all. I thought you were doing well with the Master.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think words can take away the pain in my life.”

“It’s not just words,” Carmelita asked for a moment to calm down. “What can I do to make you stay?”

“What is your obsession with me staying? I feel like you’re going to rip me off or something.”

Carmelita didn’t say anything; she just kept meditating.

“Ah, that’s it, isn’t it? A fraud, as I expected.”

“No, it’s not that,” she cut her off quickly, “it’s that you remind me of…me, and it’s strange to see the reflection of what I was.”

“Sorry?”

“When I met the Master, I had run away from home; I was about your age. If it hadn’t been for him, well…I don’t know what would have happened. He adopted me so selflessly that I thought he was an angel, but now I realize that he’s nothing more than a human being with a big heart. Anyone has the opportunity to change, and that is what he sees in you.”

“There are so many bad things in my life; I don’t see how this technique can help me.”

“It’s what you say when you start in the gym, and you don’t see immediate results, but as he told you, it’s a matter of perseverance. Ask him to tell you about the lemon example.”

“Why?”

“Just ask for that. Please, Isabel, I wouldn’t want to see someone miss out on such a valuable opportunity.”

Isabel thought her head would explode, but she didn’t want to imagine the regret she would feel if she said goodbye. She saw Carmelita with her apron, so neat and innocent, and she didn’t see herself. Isabel accepted and went back in.

The Master lay in the same position on the furniture in the living room as if he knew that Isabel would return at some point.

“Ah, I see you came back. It’s okay you feel this way.”

“Could you tell me the lemon example?” Isabel said bluntly.

“What? How is that…? I guess you talked to Carmelita; fine.” Carmelita arrived with a jug of lemon juice, an accomplice to Isabel’s request. The Master seemed to notice this but wanted to taste the juice anyway. “Imagine that you have a wound on your left hand, then, a person comes in and squeezes lemon on the wound. What caused the pain?”

“The person who…”

“No who, what.”

“The lemon?”

“The wound. We wouldn’t mind getting lemon juice on hand if we didn’t have a wound there. Lemon has nothing to do with our pain. The pain lies in the wound we have in the inner universe, and we believe that it’s the other way around. These emotional wounds will be touched and intensified by others, sometimes without any intention, but it depends on us…” The Master took the glass of lemonade with one hand and filled a cup in the other one, stretching it to Isabel, but just before taking it, he pulled his hand away, “…it depends if we want to accept the pain or not. A good student can identify the injury early and can do something about it. Sometimes we don’t even know we have injuries, so it is important…”

“To identify and observe.”

The Master smiled.

“We are responsible for our vibrations; we cannot control the lemons, the people who hold it or the cause of the injury, but we can move, meditate on the pain and accept it in our inner universe to eliminate its roots.”

“Excuse me for the tantrum.”

“Girl, you’ve been through a lot, I understand that, and I thought you were going to react worse, but hey, if you can surprise me with that, I know that you will also be surprised.”

“I promise to stay here to learn.”

“You must promise that to yourself. I only serve as a guide.”

“So what I want is to change the vibrations and frequencies of my inner universe.”

“Correct. We must learn to accept and love pain as much as pleasure, and that is when the line that separates them becomes blurred; we find no difference, and the result satisfies us equally.”

He continued to comment on how Isabel was going to be practicing the Acceptance Technique at home as part of her daily routine for the next five days. She asked when she could do it, and the Master replied that it was according to her schedule. There was no precise moment, but if she liked it, it could be great when she felt like she was about to lose her mind. Isabel didn’t understand this well, but hoped that she could understand it better in due course.

Isabel served dinner at home (she had to cook for her father too, whose only function was to be in front of the TV,) but ate alone since her father preferred to eat in the bedroom. She closed her eyes as she bit into her sandwich and tried to identify her problem, which was difficult due to the chaos in her head. This chaos intensified and almost ruined her appetite. She felt a pang in her temple that didn’t allow her to breathe well. For a moment, she faltered but remembered the words of the Master and Carmelita, believing she could do better the next time.

Isabel brushed her teeth and went to bed. In the middle of the darkness of the night, she cleared her mind. She found the process more accessible in this environment, ready for relaxation. She identified a significant problem: her overall insecurity. Isabel was trying to connect with the problem, to see it from a spiritual point of view, and her heartbeat deepened as she identified it. She could see a fuzzy point in the distance, which was an irregular shape, a squiggle that presented itself to her erratically.

Upon awakening, she realized that she had fallen asleep out of nowhere. She didn’t feel any real progress, so practicing the technique overnight was a double-edged sword.

Isabel carried on with her private life, going to work, becoming frustrated with her surroundings and returning home, and then applying the technique once more. This time she stayed awake to concentrate, but due to so much physical insistence, she couldn’t sleep well, ending up exhausted at sunrise. Now she felt more vulnerable to whatever happening around.

And indeed, she had heaviness in her body that lasted until night —when she wanted to do the technique, and this time it was better for her. Isabel was able to identify the problem, which was mixed with the very fact of practicing the technique (she felt ironic in the matter), and thought about solving this. She connected with the moments of practice and said she could do it at another time, accepting that her discomfort didn’t lie in the technique, but in practicing it comfortably.

When the day she had to meet the Master again came, Isabel felt nervous, thinking she had made no progress. Still, when she told the Master about her experience, he felt relieved.

“You’re doing very well,” he said, “don’t despair if you can’t do it comfortably or successfully; no one learns to speak on the first day of life. This first stage was to see how you could adapt to the schedules and a first approach to the technique. Tell me, what was the best time to practice according to you?”

“I think it was after meals,” Isabel tried this in the last two days and realized that by resting on the digestion, she could concentrate more, apart from the fact that if she practiced the technique before, she could lose her appetite, which wouldn’t be a good thing.

“Excellent. It’s okay if you don’t see an immediate improvement, but at least the intensity, I trust, has decreased a little; what do you say is your conflict in the inner universe?”

“The insecurity towards myself.”

“Has changed a bit, huh?”

“I’ve been able to analyze my situation better.”

“That is good. You must observe and identify; what do you feel when you do this process?”

“A stabbing pain in my head and chest, is that normal?”

“Of course, they are the emotions stuck in your body. But beyond fighting them, you have to learn to connect to flow and accept them. Don’t resist the pain; instead, you should be prepared for those moments, and when they do, you will see how soon they will no longer show up.”

“That’s weird. It’s like having an umbrella but not using it.”

“Maybe…”

“But if it rains…”

“…you can take shelter in it. I feel like I should make a book with examples; we’re good at it.” Isabel laughed. He always gave examples about the lessons or anecdotes, but it was an excellent way to get to the point.

The Master asked her to carry out the process there, in his living room. Isabel was uncomfortable; she felt vulnerable. Reminded her condition so that she might even grimace, and she wasn’t going to notice anything. Isabel realized this and knew that she had nothing to fear.

She closed her eyes and meditated.

Isabel saw everything dark, but the peace of the countryside made her feel calm. She visualized her problems, but they felt far away. She was willing to bring them closer, trusting that the pains would appear at any moment. But it wasn’t like that. On the contrary, she felt good, energetic, with crystal-clear vision. She went through the process of the technique and seemed to feel better.

“I can tell by your breathing that you have advanced,” the Master said.

“It’s that this place is very calm; instead, in my house, I have to face my father.”

“You should make this a standard place; performing the technique even in the middle of the storm is something that only the enlightened ones can. My favorite part is that this isn’t impossible at all, but for the same reason, it should be practiced. Without realizing it, you have already begun to change. The vibrations are not the same as when you started, right?”

“They have decreased, but it’s because I have been able to learn more as I progress.”

“It’s like putting together a puzzle or learning the times tables; once you do it, it ends up getting better and easier.”

“And can I achieve it once?”

“With several, in fact, although each one brings you a new experience. This can be seen in your daily life.”

“Can you say that I’m already an enlightened one?”

“Haha, that’s a good one. Honey, there is still a long way to go, although, at this rate, you will be a awaken person in less than you might expect. You may have your doubts, but the change is there; you just need to notice it.”

“Thank you, Master.”

“All in good time, Isabel; with practice, everything improves.”

Isabel felt fear and emotion simultaneously, but it would be useless to remain with her arms crossed. She was going to practice the technique until she could get good results. Now it was time to apply the technique in her daily life.

She left to the car, followed by Carmelita, agitated.

“Isa…Isabel…” She breathed deeply. “Don’t give up, I know that…”

“Don’t worry, Carmelita,” Isabel told her, amused. “I’m not in the middle of a tantrum this time; what’s more, I’m happy to have come today. I will continue practicing the technique.”

“Oh, sorry, I got carried away. I wasn’t listening to you, and I assumed the worst.”

“No problem,” Isabel laughed, showing her tiny teeth, “I learned a lot here, but I know the rest will depend on me.”

“You can come whenever you want.”

CHAPTER 6

When Isabel came home, she was scared. There was uncertainty as to whether she could handle her life better now that she knew the Acceptance Technique or not. At first, she thought that everything was exactly the same, her father yelled at her that night, and her food burned, but even so, she was able to have a peaceful sleep.

In her work, she came to have conflicts with another of the employees, when she said that Isabel was stealing merchandise from the shelves. Isabel’s first reaction was anger, insulting and calling her a liar, and even that desire increased when the boss stood in front, but at that moment, something happened in Isabel’s mind. Everything was clouded.

She was back in the dark room, with the chaotic squiggle in front of her; this felt like a thunder in her head, but when she thought about identifying and observing the situation, the noise turned to silence. She opened her mouth and said to the boss:

“Don’t worry, you can see on the security cameras that the accusations against me are false.”

And indeed, once Isabel’s innocence was proven, the boss had no choice but to fire the liar, who later discovered that she was the real thief and wanted a scapegoat to disentangle herself from suspicion. This small victory felt like something big for Isabel, as she felt that she had managed to get out of a situation airy for the first time in her life. The messy squiggle turned into an image of herself that appeared more peaceful in her mind.

She mentioned this to her father at dinner, and as a surprise, he said that the thief deserved to be behind bars as a liar. Isabel said that it wasn’t so bad after all. Although she didn’t want to believe it, it was the first time her father supported her, a minimal margin that would almost be destroyed by her father’s rejection of the food she served. He told her that it lacked salt and that she couldn’t cook even a simple meat well.

Instead of getting upset, Isabel calmed down, took the salt shaker, and passed it to her father before continuing his insults. This took him by surprise and puzzled him. He thanked and continued eating. Isabel noticed how her inner changes began to improve her father’s negative behavior.

Isabel thought about her day and how those conflicts altered her during the nighttime routine, but they didn’t break her down as before. Of course, it was nonsense, but if the thief’s plan had been successful, she would have lost her job, having to find another, and who would know when she would do it, and this translated to her father complaining even more. Actually, it would have been a significant problem, and she thanked her newfound composure for not causing her to panic.

She felt a greater connection with the inner universe, which she was beginning to perceive more plainly. Isabel watched the squiggles turn into harmonious images. It was difficult to explain, but she could see the picture more clearly, and advance her sessions a little further by practicing the technique whenever she closed her eyes.

By having a more positive attitude, she could get things done more quickly and effectively, to the point where her supervisor gave her more free time, only now she didn’t know what to do with it. At first, she thought about going to a fast-food stand, which he enjoyed a lot. When it became a customary practice, she began to have a few extra pounds. After a week, her attitude had changed dramatically, and many people were letting her know.

Isabel implemented the technique before it became a more severe problem and reflected on the Master’s lifestyle. On how he could maintain a better life without the excesses of modern society. She prepared healthier food at home, and her father didn’t notice the difference. Isabel used her spare time to go to the gym, consuming a portion of her salary, but she always set small goals that managed to complete on time, and that filled her with immense joy. In less than two months, she managed to have a better body, something she didn’t think possible since she always saw magazine models as unimaginable forms for the average woman; it was then that she decided to pamper herself a little more.

“Also, you look gorgeous,” Carmelita said, smiling.

“I don’t even need eyes to know that, haha,” the Master laughed fondly.

“Enough, you’re spoiling me too much.” Isabel was flushed with shame. “Master, you have done so much for me. I really appreciate all of your teachings. I have used the Technique in a very particular case.”

“Which one? If it can be known.”

“In accepting the happiness that I now have; after thinking that this life would have been very different if you hadn’t appeared in that moment, well…I think I wouldn’t even have a life. I get some anxiety attacks when I think about it, but I manage to release them with the technique. I’m sure at some point they will completely go away.”

“I’m glad to know that you’ve been able to advance so much, Isabel,” the Master said with a huge smile. “A day will come when you are going to realize that everything will have passed, the waters will be calm, and your inner peace will be at its peak. I’m looking forward to that day.”

“Well, it may happen soon, since at the rate we are going, it seens like Roberto and I will be living together very soon, and I don’t know, maybe there are plans for a family, although I don’t want to rush.”

Carmelita’s mouth was open, an expression that amused Isabel; in truth, she had evolved too much, just like a miracle. When they said goodbye, Isabel asked Carmelita (ashamed for having reached that point without knowing it,) about the Master’s name, because she wanted ideas when naming a possible future child.

“Name?” Carmelita looked stunned.

“Yes, it’s that it seems very inappropriate that months have passed and I still don’t know the name of who has given me so many lessons.”

“His name is Rickert, Master Rickert. But everyone knows him as the Master of the Inner Universe. I have been with the Master for so many years that I hardly remembered it, not that it matters much.

EPILOGUE

The heat overwhelmed Carlos. It was a humid day, and he had to be outside the store, doing manual labor that burned his skin.

He was sure that this was going to be his last day working in the store and —and his last day in that world. He had made the final decision; the next day, he would use the three meters of rope he bought to give himself a direct pass to paradise. Tired from his tasteless life, boredom, failure, and routine, he seemed to be in a spiral that had no salvation. It had always been like that, and even at such a young age, he told himself that he didn’t want to be suffering anymore.

One of the bags of salt he was carrying nearly broke his back, and that was the final touch to end that sad day; when he thought about losing his balance, a friendly hand appeared to help him hold the bag. It was a woman.

“Thank you, ma’am, sorry you had to help me.”

“Don’t worry; this proves the gym is paying itself,” she said while smiling.

Carlos now felt weaker than a lady, who didn’t take her eyes off her daughter sucking her own thumb, looking stunned at the scene.

“Camilla, take your hand out of your mouth, don’t be filthy!” The little girl took her hands behind her, aware of her mischief. “Well, I’m gonna go into the store. Are you sure you don’t need help?”

“Not at all; if Mr. Sebastian sees me, he would surely fire me, even if I’m still going to quit now.”

“Old Sebas won’t do it. I wouldn’t let him.”

“Do you know him?”

“Know him?” The woman gave a mischievous laugh. “I worked for him as a waitress years ago, before I got married, but why are you going to quit? If I may ask.”

“Problems, I prefer not to think about that.”

“I also had problems here; it looks like a magnet, but…”

“Mommy,” the little girl said, “can you buy me a donut?”

“Yes, darling, when we go in, don’t worry,” the woman turned to Carlos again. “Excuse me. As I said, it’s normal for bad things to happen, but it’s up to us to know how it will affect us. After all, what we need is peace in our inner universe.”

“Our what?”

“It’s something an old friend taught me when I needed the most; if you want, I could explain you with pleasure.”

“Don’t worry,” Carlos thought he was talking too much, and he was beginning to feel uncomfortable, “I don’t want to bother you. Also, your daughter wants to go in.”

“Yes, yes, yes, mommy, please.”

“Well, how about you join us, boy?”

“I must take care of this.”

“I’ll talk to old Sebas, calm down; he likes me, I’ll convince him.”

They went through the corridors, talking, Carlos helped with the woman’s shopping, and little Camilla could have her donut.

“What you have are problems in your inner universe, Carlos.”

“And what is that?”

The woman smiled.

“It’s the energy that we all possess; understanding and identifying the frequencies of the inner universe to improve the outer one can be a tiring task, but with many rewards.”

“Is there a way to do it?”

The woman paused; an ocean of ​​memories bombarded her, and she thought about her life years ago, turned into chaos without an apparent solution. She saw her master engaging in conversation next to her on the bridge and thought that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

“Tell me, Carlos, have you heard of the Acceptance Technique?”

THE END

To learn more about "Acceptance Technique” process and materials:
www.acceptancetechnique.com

RECOMENDED E-BOOKS:

THE ACCEPTANCE MOMENT
AWAKEN YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS
THE ART OF ACCEPTANCE
 THE THREE GIFTS
THE ORGANIC COMPUTER
 THE POWER OF HOPE
https://acceptancetechnique.com/ebooks/

“Life is the school of the soul.”
– Ricardo Martínez

The Inner Universe

Just a few steps away from the void, a new opportunity presented itself to Isabel. She didn’t believe in new chances, and the whirlwind of chaos in her life showed that she could always fall lower; that’s when a wise master decided to show up in the right place at the right time. Feeling that she had nothing else to lose, Isabel chose to give the master’s words a chance; she was offered a different way to face the onslaught of destiny and prove that we are more powerful than we think we are. The Inner Universe marks a personal story, full of learning, suffering, pain, love, and hope, making us see the road we travel as one with potholes, but surrounded by a beautiful landscape to which we should pay more attention.