Category Archives: Serenity

“Sometimes the things we can’t change end up changing us.”

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“Sometimes the things we can’t change end up changing us.”

—Author Unknown

I have referenced the Serenity Prayer — written by American theologian Reinhold Neibuhr (1892-1971) —numerous times over the 10 years of writing this blog.

Take another look at a popular version of it, given the year we’ve been through and your perspective on who you are today and what the future holds.

“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.”

How many times have you glanced over this saying, popularized in the Alcoholics Anonymous community? How does its wisdom resonate with you today?

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways have you changed this past year? In what ways are you far wiser and able to navigate life more serenely by acknowledging, allowing, and even accepting the circumstances and things you cannot change?

 

“Time is how you spend your love.”

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“Time is how you spend your love.”

—Zadie Adeline Smith, Creative Writing Professor, New York University

The Serenity Prayer

So much has changed in our personal and professional lives over the past months.

How we spend our time has dramatically changed, and the normal routines and momentum we previously expected have been thwarted.

How are these events impacting you and those you love?

What aspects of your world can you control and influence? Which can you not?

Revisiting the Serenity Prayer might prove useful as a mindful exercise. How you are spending your time with your head, hand, and heart?

Despite the hard realities presented by this global crisis, I am delighted to see the outpouring of love within and between communities at all levels around the world.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can and will you spend your life and time today to make a difference in your communities?

you can’t take a crash course in serenity

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“You can’t take a crash course in serenity.”

—Shirley MacLaine, American actress and author

Image from Melissa Heisler

Shirley MacLaine is an American film, TV, and theatre actress, a singer, dancer, activist, and author who has achieved much and earned many awards in her 60+ year career.

Her well-know interest in New Age spirituality has even made its way into films, including Albert Brook’s romantic comedy, Defending Your Life, where we are introduced to the concept of past lives through the “Past Life Pavilion.”

Most of us would like a far larger helping of peace of mind and serenity, although they appear to be contrary to our high velocity, quick-fix world that generally over-promises and under-delivers.

EXERCISE:

In what ways can you slow down and take a deeper inner journey to realize greater serenity in your life?

Ask those you know and trust what they find helpful. Consider a bit of experimentation to see what works best for you.