Serenity
It seems no matter what stage you are in life, or what obstacles are blocking your path, the Serenity Prayer offers hope and guidance when uttered in prayer or meditation.
Although most of us know this as a teaching which AA has adopted as a means of asking for help from a higher power, Reinhold Niebhur actually authored this prayer at the end of a sermon he gave in Massachusetts during World War II. Niebhur was an anti-Nazi immigrant to the United States and was wrestling with the ethical issues of how to live with the immorality of Hitler. At the time, Niebhur and similar like minded indiviuals were dealing with the concept that they “Christians in Germany will have to face the terrible alternative of either willing the defeat of their nation in order that Christian civilization may survive or willing the victory of their nation and thereby destroying civilization.” Hence, he concluded one sermon with the now famous words:
"God give us the 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."
The powerfulness of this prayer was immediately recognized and soon the found of AA asked if he could simplify and use these words in his organization to fight the evil, not of Hitler, but of disease/alcoholism.
At this point, the prayer became the more recognizable:
"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."
Although AA has used this for those fighting alcoholism, if you deconstruct the words of the prayer, it may be used for guidance at any point in your life.
"To accept the things I cannot change" - other people/their actions
"To change the things I can" - myself, my reactions to other people.
The last few days, as I have been mulling over how to make my life more abundant in all respects (love, spirituality, happiness...) these words have returned to mind again and again. There are many self help books that proclaim you cannot change others, you can only change yourself, or question, is it better to be happy or right? If you break down the concepts, it comes back to Niehbur's sermon - "accept the things I cannot change and the courage to change the things I can." For me, the Serenity Prayer is much easier to digest. I am able to get my mind around the concept that I can change me, but I can't accept that in order to be happy I have to let other's me wrong. This prayer, to me, doesn't mean I have to blindly accept that others are "wrong" in order to be happy. It simply means I have control over myself, and my life and I can make it whatever I want it to be.
xx