---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...when I've practiced acceptance, when…"
description: "\"“...when I've practiced acceptance, when I've floated instead of fought, when I've rested, even for a moment, on the surface instead of wrestling the w..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/shauna-niequist-3042_acceptance_when-i-ve-practiced-acceptance-when-i-ve_576178.jpg"
---

#  ...when I've practiced acceptance, when I've floated…

![“...when I've practiced acceptance, when I've floated instead of fought, when I've rested, even for a moment, on the surface instead of wrestling the water itself. And those moments are like heaven.” quote by Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/shauna-niequist-3042_acceptance_when-i-ve-practiced-acceptance-when-i-ve_576178.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/shauna-niequist-3042_acceptance_when-i-ve-practiced-acceptance-when-i-ve_576178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/shauna-niequist-3042_acceptance_when-i-ve-practiced-acceptance-when-i-ve_576178.jpg)

> ““...when I've practiced acceptance, when I've floated instead of fought, when I've rested, even for a moment, on the surface instead of wrestling the water itself. And those moments are like heaven.””

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Acceptance and surrender bring moments of peace that feel transcendent.

**In simple terms:** Letting go creates heavenly calm.

Key Takeaway

Practice letting go to find peace.

Themes

mindfulness acceptance peace spirituality

Mood

calm hopeful

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- meditation
- stress relief
- personal growth

Key Concepts

non‑attachment inner stillness

Questions to Reflect On

- When have you floated instead of fought?
- What does “heaven” feel like in daily life?

A Different Perspective

Surrender may be difficult when faced with injustice.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Like Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-heaven/) [Practiced Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practiced-acceptance-4745404/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Ve Floated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ve-floated-4745405/) [Water Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water-moments-4745406/)

## Related quotes

> [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [What makes earth feel like hell is our expectation that it should feel like heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/what-makes-earth-feel-like-hell-is-our-expectation-that-it-should/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [Seeing you is like being in heaven! I miss you..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jas-rob/seeing-you-is-like-being-in-heaven-i-miss-you/)

[Jas&amp;rob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jas-rob/)

> [“And I go back to Eden, in my mind, to imagine what it is going to be like for you and me in heaven.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-i-go-back-to-eden-in-my-mind-to-imagine-what-it-is-going-to-be/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“They shared an image of the American Christmas--riches, reconciliations, tears, snow, success, sentiment, furs and firs, the shop windows shining like Heaven and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-thomas-ellis/they-shared-an-image-of-the-american-christmas-riches-reconciliations/)

[Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/)

> [You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, Like you'll never be hurt, Sing like there's nobody listening, And live like it's heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ve-gotta-dance-like-there-s-nobody-watching-like-you-ll-never-be/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We're like heaven and hell different never to be the same…different worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-g/we-re-like-heaven-and-hell-different-never-to-be-the-same-different/)

[Jeremy G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-g/)

> [One can see now how the idea of heaven takes hold of men's consciousness, how it gains ground even when all the props have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/one-can-see-now-how-the-idea-of-heaven-takes-hold-of-men-s/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“So, this is what it feels like when Heaven leaves you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-clifford/so-this-is-what-it-feels-like-when-heaven-leaves-you/)

[Leah Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-clifford/)

> [Youve gotta dance like theres nobody watching, Love like youll never be hurt, Sing like theres nobody listening, And live like its heaven on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/youve-gotta-dance-like-theres-nobody-watching-love-like-youll-never/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth. Â Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance-2/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Fried twinkies? Paris nodded. Only once, I've never forgotten the experience. It's like heaven in your mouth, man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/fried-twinkies-paris-nodded-only-once-i-ve-never-forgotten-the/)

[Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/)

> [Good girls go to Heaven, bad girls make you feel like you're in Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-girls-go-to-heaven-bad-girls-make-you-feel-like-you-re-in-heaven/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It's funny how you can feel like you're in Heaven, and then you come crashing back down to Earth and realize how stupid you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/it-s-funny-how-you-can-feel-like-you-re-in-heaven-and-then-you-come/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [Kachchh is like Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rmkatta/kachchh-is-like-heaven/)

[RMKATTA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rmkatta/)

## More by Shauna Niequist

> [...what I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/what-i-can-do-is-offer-myself-wholehearted-and-present-to-walk-with/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“We decide where the time goes. There's so much freedom in that, and so much responsibility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/we-decide-where-the-time-goes-there-s-so-much-freedom-in-that-and-so/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/to-all-the-secret-writers-late-night-painters-would-be-singers-lapsed/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“When things fall apart, the broken pieces allow all sorts of things to enter, and one of them is the presence of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/when-things-fall-apart-the-broken-pieces-allow-all-sorts-of-things-to/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“The world is alive, blinking and clicking, winking at us slyly, inviting us to get up and dance to the music that’s been playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/the-world-is-alive-blinking-and-clicking-winking-at-us-slyly-inviting/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“I have always, essentially, been waiting. Waiting to become something else, waiting to be that person I always thought I was on the verge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/i-have-always-essentially-been-waiting-waiting-to-become-something/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“I am still surprised on a regular basis at the love I feel for the spirit of God, the deep respect and emotion that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/i-am-still-surprised-on-a-regular-basis-at-the-love-i-feel-for-the/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“...now that I am a mother, I understand what Mother's Day is about: it's about looking through our lives and recognizing the act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/now-that-i-am-a-mother-i-understand-what-mother-s-day-is-about-it-s/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“We have, each one of us, been entrusted with one life, made up of days and hours and minutes. We're spending them according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/we-have-each-one-of-us-been-entrusted-with-one-life-made-up-of-days/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“Years ago, Aaron and I were talking with the pastor of a fast-growing church, and another friend, a more seasoned pastor. The first pastor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/years-ago-aaron-and-i-were-talking-with-the-pastor-of-a-fast-growing/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“I believe deeply that God does his best work in our lives during times of great heartbreak and loss, and I believe that much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/i-believe-deeply-that-god-does-his-best-work-in-our-lives-during/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“one of the chief aspects of mothering is prayer,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/one-of-the-chief-aspects-of-mothering-is-prayer/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“Our friend Ian, an Episcopal priest, taught us something I’d never heard, something that shaped all of us: on a rainy night, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/our-friend-ian-an-episcopal-priest-taught-us-something-i-d-never/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“When you haven’t yet had your heart really broken, the gospel isn’t about death and rebirth. It’s about life and more life. It’s about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/when-you-haven-t-yet-had-your-heart-really-broken-the-gospel-isn-t/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“Present over perfect living is real over image, connecting over comparing, meaning over mania, depth over artifice. Present over perfect living is the risky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/present-over-perfect-living-is-real-over-image-connecting-over/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

[Explore all 141 Shauna Niequist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

## More Acceptance quotes

> [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/)

[Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/)

> [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/)

[Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/)

> [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/)

[Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/)

> [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

> [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/)

[Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/)

> [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/)

[Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/)

> [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/)

[Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/)

> [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/)

[Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/)

> [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/)

[Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/)

> [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“...when I've practiced acceptance, when I've floated instead of fought, when I've rested, even for a moment, on the surface instead of wrestling the water itself. And those moments are like heaven.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Shauna Niequist"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/when-i-ve-practiced-acceptance-when-i-ve-floated-instead-of-fought/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Acceptance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/when-i-ve-practiced-acceptance-when-i-ve-floated-instead-of-fought/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/shauna-niequist-3042_acceptance_when-i-ve-practiced-acceptance-when-i-ve_576178.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/shauna-niequist-3042_acceptance_when-i-ve-practiced-acceptance-when-i-ve_576178.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/shauna-niequist-3042_acceptance_when-i-ve-practiced-acceptance-when-i-ve_576178.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“...when I've practiced acceptance, when I've floated instead of fought, when I've rested, even for a moment…” — Shauna Niequist",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Shauna Niequist",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“...when I've practiced acceptance, when I've...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/when-i-ve-practiced-acceptance-when-i-ve-floated-instead-of-fought/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/when-i-ve-practiced-acceptance-when-i-ve-floated-instead-of-fought/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
