Every year on Yom Kippur, I find a topic to think about and focus on. Last year, the topic was good and evil, but I did not get to finalize my thoughts about it. This year I'm not yet ready to go back to the topic of good and evil, so instead I'm going to focus on the serenity prayer, and its role in our lives.
Below is my view of the serenity prayer.
The Serenity Prayer
And some newer versions of it
The Original
“O God and Heavenly Father, grant to us the serenity of mind to accept that which cannot be changed, courage to change that which can be changed, and wisdom to know the one from the other through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.”
Focus on changes first
“O God and Heavenly Father, grant to us the courage to change that which can be changed, the serenity of mind to accept that which cannot be changed, and wisdom to know the one from the other through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.”
A non-religious version (and focus on the self)
“May I have the courage to change that which can be changed, the serenity to accept that which cannot be changed, and wisdom to know the one from the other.”
And finally, Adding a focus on opportunity cost
“May I have the courage to change that which can be changed, the ability to figure out what changes are not worth the effort, the serenity to accept that which cannot be changed, and wisdom to know the one from the other.”
