The Serenity Prayer

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” The Serenity Prayer was originally a prayer that Reinhold Niebur used following a sermon in 1943. It was later adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous as part of their program of recovery. The Serenity Prayer is a good guideline for daily living, regardless of whether you are an addict or not. Acceptance of our past, present and relinquishing control about the future is one of the hardest things for individuals to do. Most of the time, in recovery and not, we are attempting to change our present circumstances and feelings, rather than accepting current reality. Courage is the ability to face your fear and forge through. Even though your current situation my present trials and tribulations, there is always a blessing once you get to the end. Have the courage to change what you can control: How you respond to circumstances in your life. Knowing the difference between when to change vs. when to sit with acceptance is a skill that needs to be exercised in order to get better at it. Individuals are wired to have a strong desire to be in control and when this is challenged most will find other ways to release frustration. For addicts, this becomes fuel for alcohol and drug addiction. The Serenity Prayer can be applied to almost all situations and is a great tool for life.