It is not always popular to campaign for something you believe in (but things can change as a result). It’s not easy to change oneself into being a more patient person (but it can be done). What about things that you can (and should) change? Although by definition these are things we can change, this doesn’t mean it’s easy, popular or risk-free to do so. Accepting the situation and not letting it disturb your peace of mind is the only appropriate response. To try to put things right? By definition, no, because these are thing that you can’t change, so it will just be wasted energy. What is the best attitude you can take to these realities? To get angry? No, you’ll only make a bad situation worse.

Perhaps the fact you weren’t bo rn a millionaire, or that the world is not always a fair place.

Think about some things that you really, really can’t change. Why do I say this? Let’s look at each of the three parts of the Prayer in turn.įirst, have the serenity to accept what you can’t change. If so, can I ask you to now reread the Serenity Prayer, now, slowly, as if you were reading it the first time? You may end up believing, like me, that far from offering trite advice it contains the seeds of great practical wisdom. You may have written it off either as a clic héd truism or as applicable only to alcoholics. You may have already encountered this saying, the Serenity Prayer, perhaps on a tablemat in a souvenir shop or as the prayer associated with AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). The Serenity Prayer God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Aa serenity quotes