Courage

I've spent a lot of time picking apart the serenity prayer in recent months. Serenity, acceptance, change, wisdom, etc...all great things to contemplate. But to put it into action....that's where it gets hard.

I think I focused too long on the "serenity to accept the things I cannot change" and just stalled out, as if I just have to accept everything. I was not raised empowered to make change in my life, but to be content with what I had, to look at the glass half-full, to smile despite the pain. And to a certain extent, those are all good things. But it is not the whole of how life works. There is time for being content in all kinds of circumstances, and there is a time for standing up for yourself and others in unjust circumstances.

So that brings be to "the courage to change the things I can." I have had it drilled into me that I cannot change the world. I cannot change another person. I cannot change much. I've also believed the lie that I cannot change myself. But I can change myself. To an extent. I mean, I can't change my past, my memories, my heritage, or my DNA. But I can work to change my attitude, my actions, my demeanor and my perspective.

You can change nothing but yourself, but through changing yourself, you can affect change in the world.