The Courage to Change What We Can
September is National Recovery Month. Through the years, I have been inspired and learned so much from my friends in recovery. Recently several of them have shared with me that what they have learned in their journey of recovery is serving them well as they now face the many losses and challenges brought about by the pandemic.
A few weeks ago, a friend told me that he printed the first three lines of the Serenity Prayer, a prayer that is beloved by many people in recovery, and posted them next to his computer. Because his work requires him to spend so much time on his laptop, these words are a constant reminder to accept the limits of what he can control and what he cannot.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by all that you cannot change in your life, perhaps the wisdom of the opening lines of Serenity Prayer will be helpful.
Another friend in recovery taught me many years ago some wisdom that has to do with the second line, “Courage to change the things I can” She told me to remember that when I say this line, there is always at least one thing that I do have the power to change in my life, and that is myself.
Even when I do not have control of what's going on around me, I do have control over my thoughts, attitude, choices, behaviors, and how I treat others.
May I have the courage and the wisdom to remember this.
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