Living the Serenity Prayer, Disclaimer Included

From my Inbox today :  

The Wisdom to Know the Difference
by Eileen Flanagan 

Image above at

http://inkmonkey.com/artgallery/serenity_prayer/serenity_prayer.html
graciously donated by Sherrie Lovler

To see her newest art and poetry please visit her blog:

http://natureartandpoetry.blogspot.com/

Many of us know and love the Serenity Prayer : ' 
God, grant us serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
Courage to change the things we can,
And wisdom to know the difference. '

Many of us spend too much time anxious about things we cannot change: 
the economy, the weather, traffic on the freeway, or people who annoy us. 
As a result, we don’t have the energy to make the most of the opportunities 
we do have. Recognizing the difference between what we can and cannot
change can help us live more peaceful and productive lives.

Acknowledge Your Conditioning
Some people have a harder time with the first line of the Serenity Prayer,
accepting the things they cannot change, while others have a harder time 
mustering the courage to change what they can. Often these patterns can 
be traced to family or cultural conditioning. Reflect on the messages you 
received growing up. Were you expected to be passive and submit to what 
others wanted? Were you trained to be in control, so that letting go is more 
difficult for you today? Sometimes just acknowledging your family or social 
conditioning can help you to let go of old patterns that are no longer serving you. 

Know Yourself
Many spiritual traditions teach that knowing yourself is a lifelong pursuit, 
but one that can help you feel more at peace with yourself and other people. 
Spending time alone—walking in the woods, meditating, or journaling—can put 
you in touch with what's really going on inside you. When you acknowledge
these feelings, you can make a conscious choice about what to accept and what
to change, rather than letting yourself be ruled by unconscious feelings.  

Pay Attention to Your Inner Voice
When you get a feeling that something isn't right, pay attention. That may be 
a sign of something you need to change. We human beings have a tremendous 
ability to deny our inner truths or talk ourselves out of making changes that 
might seem scary or difficult at first, but usually we know what is right deep down. 
Pay special attention to intuitions that persist over time or that come with 
a sense of peace and clarity. The more you pay attention to your Inner Voice, 
the more clearly it will guide you.

Learn from Your Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes, but many of us waste too much energy beating 
ourselves up over them. While psychologists have not agreed on one 
standard definition of wisdom, they do agree that one of the qualities 
wise people share is the ability to learn from their mistakes. When things 
don't go the way you hoped, instead of focusing on what you did wrong or
what someone else did to mess things up, think about what you might 
do differently next time.

Cultivate Optimism
Monitor your pessimistic thoughts and try to find evidence to refute them. 
Psychologists have found it is particularly helpful to censor categorical 
words like "never" from your thinking. Just because something didn't work 
out last time, that doesn't mean it won't work next time. Instead of simply
repeating positive affirmations, point out to yourself the things that you can 
do to bring a more positive result in the future. Cultivating optimism has
been shown to make it much more likely you'll be able to change the things
you can, as well as accept the things you can't.

Practice Letting Go  
Life is full of opportunities to let go and trust. Practice with the little things: 
a lost earring, a flat tire, or an uncooperative toddler. In such situations, 
take a deep breath and monitor your thoughts. If you are angry or frustrated, 
don't pretend you are not. Just observe your own emotion, and then see if 
you can release it with a deep breath. For many people, Prayer helps. 
Turning a problem over to a Higher Power can bring tremendous relief.

Cultivate Community
Whether it's a religious congregation, a Twelve-Step group, or just a gang of 
really good friends, community can help us develop wisdom. We need people 
who will tell us when we're acting wimpy or pigheaded, as well as point out our 
strengths and encourage them. We also need people who will support us when 
we hit tough times and cheer for us when we succeed. If you don't have such 
support in your life, think about where you might be able to find it. If you do 
have people like that, count them among your blessings.

" Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place. "
~Zora Neale Hurston

 

Serenity Prayer Ocean Beach Sunset Art Print 

Framed Poster - 16" x 20" 

 

Decorative Framed Mirror Wall Decor With Serenity Prayer 

Etched Mirror - Serenity Prayer Decor - Unique Serenity 

Prayer Gift Ideas - Ready To Hang - 12'' w x 10'' h 

Sherrie Lovler's awesome Calligraphy is available in many different

forms. I view them as Art and as gifts of lasting value :

http://www.inkmonkey.com/index.html

Disclaimer : I am not a preacher or a teacher -
just an ordinary creature 
wanting to share 
with someone out there
the good and the bad
the happy, the sad ;

the dirty, the clean
sometimes the in-between ;
the things that impress me
from time to time
the inspiring, the funny,
the ridiculous, the sublime.
So read and enjoy 
and share if you can
if you don't, it won't matter
~ to me, I'm The Man !

At least that's what they keep saying to me.....