Monday, January 30, 2012

Change what you can – accept what you can’t






In Alcoholics Anonymous participants recite a very powerful prayer called The Serenity Prayer.

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.

Members ask their higher power to help them change the things in their lives they can; to accept those things they cannot change and to have the wisdom to know the difference. Many of us would like to change things in our lives that can be changed but we don’t think we can do it. There are things in our lives that cannot be changed but still we keep beating our heads against the wall stubbornly trying to change those. We do this to ourselves. Why?

Why are we so often discontent? Why do we attempt to do the impossible and then beat ourselves up when we are unsuccessful? Life really doesn’t need to be this hard. Things get easier when we begin to pay attention to what we feel and really listen to the messages our feelings transmit. We know if we feel good we are making the right choices. If we feel bad, we have strayed from the path we want to be walking.

Guide yourself gently back onto your path. In your heart, you (and only you) know the way. warmest wishes, Dr. Denise

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