The Serenity Prayer
I would like to talk about one of the most insightful messages of the 21th century…The Serenity Prayer. The original version was written by a German theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr, as part of his sermons in the early 1930′s, and was written as such:
God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
During the 1940′s, twelve-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) began adopting the prayer. They removed the word “grace”, polished up the remainder, and republished it in this format:
God, grant me the Serenity to Accept the things I cannot change,
The Courage to Change the things I can,
And the Wisdom to know the Difference.
Regardless of these differences, the simple yet impactful ideas remain the same.
First, that there is serenity in acceptance. Acceptance of things… just as they are. This very notion is at the core of almost all major Eastern philosophies and is a driving force for peace and awareness. It is the stillness that is…living in the now.
Secondly, that there is courage in change. Every great thing that has ever exploded, reformed, produced life, multiplied, hatched, swam, slithered, taken a breath, crawled, walked, lived, discovered, created, invented, or gained consciousness….has done so…as a result of change! Don”t fight change, as it is our only constant!
And finally, that wisdom is attained through knowing the difference. The difference between which things are constants, laws and truths that must be accepted…and which are still yet undecided, up for discussion, open for change! Also, that there is wisdom in knowing, rather than believing.
These enlightening concepts allow people to reduce stress, cope with life and better understand one’s surroundings. They also drive people to be better, more proactive, and take control of their lives. Go ahead, give it a once over. If you get hung up on the word God, just replace it with your own explanation, or simply remove it. The message is the same. For me, it is the first thing I read…every morning…of every day!
B.R.
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