"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I
cannot change". This is the first phrase in the Serenity Prayer. Notice
the word "accept". It plays a critical role in the serenity prayer.
Without acceptance, serenity may be impossible. Here is famous quote from a story published in the
Alcoholics Anonymous basic text commonly referred to as the Big Book. The
intended audience may be for those who are recovering from a substance use
disorder, but it applies to everyone.
"And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.
When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation
-- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until
I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is
supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's
world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober;
unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to
concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what
needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes (Alcoholics Anonymous,pg
449)".
You must only accept those things that you cannot change or
control. The things that you can control are your responsibilities. This may
sound harsh, but try it for a while and you will see how empowered you become
and more serene you will feel. The old saying goes: You can only sweep-up your
side of the street. If the other guys street is dirty, than that is on him. He
may not want your help, and he might like it being dusty and dirty. That's ok,
you can let it go. Trust me, the sooner you can get to changing what is your
situation and stop trying to control everyone else, the more serene your life
will become. Accepting life on life's terms. This is sometimes easier said than
done. It doesn't mean we give up on everything and everyone around us, but it
does help us to grow spiritually and learn to accept and see this world for
what it is and do our part to make it better. Continue saying the serenity
prayer and read acceptance in the morning and whenever you are feeling disturbed.
God Bless!