The Serenity Prayer is another prayer used frequently in 12-step programs:
"God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
Courage to change the things we can,
And wisdom to know the difference."
I use a personalized version of the prayer, changing us to me and we to I. Over many years, the use of this prayer has taught me that I am powerless over people, places, things and situations. Acceptance is difficult but, after many failures to change anything outside of myself, I had to admit complete defeat, which is the beginning of acceptance.
The only person I can change is me, and I require God's help to do that. Many of our ways of thinking, that result in our feelings and behaviors, are very familiar but uncomfortable. Great courage is required to ask a Power greater than we are for help and take a leap of faith into the unknown. The Third Step and Seventh Step Prayers guide us in this process.
It is a wise person who stops fighting anything or anyone, including themselves. Knowledge or information can be gleaned from a book or computer and regurgitated. After an arduous journey, wisdom is found within, in the seat of the soul.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment