The most common Serenity Prayer came from a sermon in 1943 from, and is attributed to American Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971):
To accept the things I cannot change;
The courage to change the things I can;
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Another version of the Serenity Prayer comes to us from the Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) people-ship and focuses on people, not things with the realization that the difference is me:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know that one is me.
An even more personal version of the Serenity Prayer comes to us from the Overeaters Anonymous (OA) people-ship on Page 97 of their book “Seeking the Spiritual Path;”
God, grant me the serenity to accept myself as I am and as I was, the courage to change in the way you wish me to, and the wisdom to allow you to do it. Amen
There was more to the Serenity Prayer from Niebuhr in 1943. Here is the complete version of what he shared in his sermon:
To accept the things I cannot change;
The courage to change the things I can;
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as
The pathway to peace;
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it;
Trusting that You will
Make all things right
If I surrender to Your will.
Reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with
You forever in the next.
Of course in TROML one may believe in any religion or none at all. A Muslim would substitute Muhammad for Jesus, a non-believer something else.
The main points being acceptance, courage to change ourselves, and seeking wisdom and inspiration from within and beyond ourselves to progress our own TROML Process to develop our own TROML Program to become our True Self with our Eternal Child Within and be and enable others to be The Ultimate Love of Peace, Joy and Freedom.
What is your own personal Serenity Prayer? How have you overcome fear, resentments, dishonesty and selfishness and self-centeredness in your own life. How have you freed yourself from natural instincts that have far exceeded their proper function and manifested themselves as perfectionism, control, all-or-nothing thinking and judgmentalism?
Have you forgiven yourself completely? God has, why not you? You are not God and neither am I.
Time in our lives is running out, why not begin your own transformation today?
I believe that the spiritual being we become here is the spiritual being that limits us or enables us forever in eternity and beyond. Why not leave the physical, emotional and mental world to some extent and let your spiritual being flourish here on Earth?
This could be the first day of the rest of your life.
Got TROML?
Have a TROML Day today,
Your Personal Revivalist,
Anonymous Andy
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