We all have heard of the Serenity prayer by now:

“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.”

I don’t know about you; however, I find this creed a constant challenge to follow!

“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.” I’m sure my close friends would say that I’m falling down on this part of the prayer. They’d say that I’m always trying to “fix IT” whatever the IT is at the time. At any rate, I’m not sure if I’m fixing, or just being creative and wanting to improve the IT.

Why can’t IT be my way?
How come the powers at Be are so stupid!
All they have to do is …

Obviously, I can’t control the actions and behaviors of others. What they do or don’t do is theirs to do, or not. I just have to acknowledge that they “do them, and I’ll do me.”

After I decern what is theirs to do, then, I have to build up the courage to change the things I can. This might mean standing up to the Goliaths in my life, perhaps marching for the rights of minorities or people with disabilities, writing to my congressman, and facing my challenges with a cup of tea in hand.

How do I know the difference between accepting the things I cannot change and changing the things I can?

I think this is a matter of ego versus heart.

My ego wants to fix everything not going with the flow while my heart must be brave enough to change the things I can. The wisdom to know the difference lies in prayer and meditation. If I’m wanting everything to go my way, then most likely this is my ego talking. If I have that little nudge in my heart that pushes me forward, then, this is my spirit telling me how to move forward.

The challenge is, to thank your ego for sharing and then to follow your heart.

So, the next time you find yourself wanting to fix, have things your way, blame others, or sit back in fear, ask yourself,

Am I accepting the things I cannot change and/or am I needing to change the things I can?
Is this my work to do?
Is this my passion?
Who’s talking, my head or my heart?

In these ways, you’ll find serenity. If you do you, and I do me, then the world will be a better place. Focus your attention on you and leave others to their path. The wisdom lies in your knowledge that you have enough on your plate without worrying about them. In these ways, you’ll change the way you see and change the way you live.