80. The Serenity Prayer says it all!

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.

As I was brainstorming my 80 life lessons, I already knew ahead of time that the Serenity Prayer had to be included. It is such a powerful guide for every one of us. All programs that deal with addictions, whether it be smoking, alcohol, drugs, overspending or anger management, subscribe to the message of this prayer. It is a powerful tool to assist anyone who is in need of help with personal problems. 

I have just finished seeing how many of my 80 lessons might fit in some way into the Serenity message. I was amazed at how many were relevant. When I reviewed the lessons that dealt with “accepting the things I cannot change” some of my lessons were:

• people highly value fairness - 4
• you are responsible for your own happiness - 6
• you are not lucky, you are blessed - 25
• you are in charge of your own body and your health - 35
• you can’t make everyone happy - 38
• knowledge is power - 51
• everyone wants to feel valued - 52
• worry is a waste of time - 57
• it doesn’t matter what others think of you - 64
• age is only a number - 69
• you are the master of your fate - 77

When I examined “the things that I can change” I selected as examples:

• courtesy and good manners are important - 7
• try to engage someone in conversation every day - 10
• success depends on self discipline and perseverance - 11
• never stop learning and reading - 14
• be kind, be gentle, be humble - 17
• moderation in every thing should be a goal - 22
• always try your best - 27
• learn to laugh at yourself - 41
• be on time, it shows respect - 44
• a smile can make all the difference - 49
• patience is a virtue - 55
• always keep your promises - 68
• don’t be afraid to try new foods - 76
• always think and plan ahead - 79

The entire prayer is simple to read but not as easy to put into practice. And possibly that hardest part is the third line, having “the wisdom to know the difference” between what we must accept and what we can change. Many of the problems and issues that some of us have struggled with over a lifetime often have been captured in the wisdom of the Serenity Prayer.