Earth Day: October 26, 2020
An American theologian
Reinhold Niebuhr composed the following prayer in 1932. “Father, give us
courage to change what must be altered, serenity to accept what cannot be
helped, and the insight to know one from the other.”
If it sounds familiar,
it’s because several versions of this prayer spread quicky, most famously in
song lyrics and poetry, and in 1955, Alcoholics Anonymous adopted the
following: “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.”
I prefer the original
sentiment. “Father, give us courage to change what must be altered. . .”
Courage always comes
before acceptance, courage to acknowledge and accept, to face and admit, that
things have to change.
“[S]erenity to accept
what cannot be helped. . .”
Only after ALL has been
done, then can one accept the consequences of the outcome.
“[A]nd the insight to
know the one from the other.”
This will be my downfall
because I do not define “serenity” with surrender. I never have. It’s just down
time while I dust myself off, gear myself with new courage, and find another
solution to attack the problem.
I fight to the end.
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