Grant me the serenity to accept
the things I cannot change
The courage to change the things
I can
And Wisdom to know the difference
~ author unknown
Websters defines serenity as calm or quiet. Just hearing the word - serenity - invoked with mindful awareness brings a moment of peace. The serenity prayer is said to have been written sometime in the 1940s, the author unknown. It is a cornerstone of 12 steps fellowships.
To invoke this prayer with mindful awareness can bring tranquility to our lives. Understanding the prayer will carry you through the troubled moments of humaneness.
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change -
There are things outside the range of our power - namely people, place and things. The realization that we do not have power to change those things outside of ourselves we react from a place of calm and quiet - by letting go emotionally, physically and spiritually!
The courage to change the things I can -
It takes courage to change things in our lives. Letting go of familiar pain, negative self images, etc. is very difficult. Eliciting courage from the God of your understanding, Higher Power, Universal Life Force or whatever you choose to call "it" gives us the ability to CHANGE.
And the wisdom to know the difference -
With wisdom comes the ability to stop beating your head against a "brick wall" and intuitively know when and what to change plus have the courage to change it!
Using the Serenity Prayer as a cornerstone of life no matter where your path has taken can bring acceptance that leads to peace and quiet.
