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The Power of the Serenity Prayer

By Debbie Milam, reprinted with permission

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change

The courage to change those that I can

And the wisdom to know the difference

— 12 Step Program

This prayer has such profound ramifications in the challenging times our country is facing. How can we use this prayer to help us cope with the events that are unfolding? First, God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. We must accept that our world is evolving. We must accept that the freedom we once took for granted is being challenged. We must accept that are economy is changing. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, literally means surrendering those events that are beyond our control over to our higher power. This can be done through prayer, visualization, and/or writing out our feelings in a journal.

Next, God grant me the courage to change the things I can. What things can we as humans do to change the course of events? Communities have come together in unity and support, now we must continue to look past the color of our neighbor's skin and see the essence of their soul. Houses of worship have come together in prayer, now let us make faith a daily part of our lives. Finally, we must have the courage to voice our opinions to our elected officials, media and newspapers. This simple act can be a catalyst for great change.

Perhaps the most profound part of this prayer is, God grant me the wisdom to know the difference. Wisdom comes from connecting with the highest, most divine thoughts we hold regarding a situation. The only way we can hear the voice of the divine is to quiet down our minds and our environments. This requires that we spend some time in silence every day. Meditation, deep breathing, and listening to quiet music are all avenues to relate to our Higher Power. Being outdoors in nature also provides a sacred sanctuary to hear God's wisdom. Attuning ourselves to the guidance of our higher power allows a shift in perspective to unfold. Once we have connected with God, events can then be viewed as opportunities for growth rather than moments for fear. This challenges us to find the blessings in the tragedy and to bring light to the darkness.

When fear, doubt, and worry consume us, we can use The Serenity Prayer as a tool to ground us in the reality of the situation. This grounding will not only assist in creating an internal harmony, but it can also help to quiet down the collective consciousness of our planet. As we enter a new phase in our world's evolution it is more important than ever to find strategies that can bring us healing, peace and comfort. The Serenity Prayer is an invaluable tool to help us cope with the changes that are upon us.

© Copyright Debbie Milam

Debbie Milam is an author and motivational speaker. She has created Moments of Joy Spiritual Exercise Cards and Journey Into Healing Meditation Tape. Her products and services can be found at Unlimited Inspiration.