Do you remember the serenity prayer? You know—the one you see printed on those decorative plates that come with their own metal easels? The one you’ve seen and heard SO MANY TIMES that it bounces right off your prefrontal cortex and into the wild blue yonder? Why is it that we can’t remember to apply this wisdom in our daily lives? It’s so simple, for crying out loud! And maybe that’s the problem. Maybe it’s the simplicity of the thing. Maybe the intellect flushes it right out the ear canals because it seems just a little too . . . glib. Which is a shame. Because have you ever sat down and contemplated the meaning of this little prayer? It’s profound. No wonder AA uses it in their twelve-step program. So let's break it down, shall we?
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change . . ."
Cupcake, I don’t know if you've noticed, but that’s almost everything outside yourself.
You can’t change the weather.
You can’t change the current state of the economy and you sure as hell can’t change other people.
You can influence them and inspire them and model good behavior, but YOU CANNOT CHANGE THEM. That’s their job. Not yours. And trying to change what you can't leads to all sorts of stress and unhappiness. Accepting what IS always leads to peace. Pretty deep stuff. But wait. There’s more.
"God grant me the courage to change the things I can . . ."
You may not be able to change the weather, but you can change location. And if you can’t change location, you can change your clothes to accommodate the weather and if you can’t do that, you can always change your attitude about the weather (or your current financial situation or your love-life). You always have choice, my darling.
Even if the only thing you can change is how you feel.
In fact, this part of the prayer puts us squarely into the driver’s seat of our own power. Because when we change the way we FEEL, everything changes. Our predominant mood becomes our primary point of attraction. Stay in a victim mindset for too long and the Universe will keep delivering up a vibrational match. (Trust me, I know.) Change that victim mindset to one of empowerment and watch your circumstances start to shift in dramatic ways. Inner change is one of the most powerful things we can do for the good of this world. But sometimes, we need to kick down some doors and work things out Erin Brockovich style. Every situation calls for a unique response. Which is why the next part of the prayer is so important.
"God grant me the wisdom to know the difference . . ."
Wisdom is more than just book-smarts. It's a quiet inner guidance—an intelligence that goes far beyond the verbal voice in your head. True wisdom includes ALL of you. (Your emotions, your spirit, your intellect) It gathers in your body with a calm, still silence and will tell you, 100% of the time, if you need to let go and surrender, or if you need to take inner (or outer) action. This knowing KNOWS. And you can tell that you've tapped into it by the wash of peace that flows through your body and the absolute certainty you feel in your core. You won't be guessing, my friend. That's why its called the SERENITY Prayer. Serenity means calm and peaceful. But guess what. It also means clear. And once you have clarity . . . Any decision you face will be easy.
Sending you so much love,
