Awareness is the experience of becoming conscious about reality. This can use the 5 senses (seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, tasting). It can also involve emotions and thoughts.
Acknowledgement is the act of recognizing awareness. Writing is a powerful tool for acknowledgement because we’re forced to bring names to things and acknowledge them as we write.
Acceptance is a state of mind which acknowledges reality. It is the opposite of denial, judgement, analysis, desiring something different, and trying to change reality. Read more about acceptance here.
Example of how the 3 A’s are used in mindfulness meditation:
Event: My mind has wandered during meditation.
I become aware that my mind has wandered.
I acknowledge that my mind has wandered. (Oh – my mind has wandered. I’m now thinking about dinner.)
I accept that my mind has wandered.
Having come into acceptance, I can decide a course of action. (Ex: I can choose to calmly bring my mind back to the present.)