Category Archives: serenity

Believing that God Exists

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Once you accept the existence of God—however you define Him, however you explain your relationship to Him—then you are caught forever with His presence in the center of all things. – Morris West “Having our Higher Power as an integral part of how we experience all the hours of a day (whether they hold burdens or blessings) heightens our awareness of the fullness of our life. Believing that God exists for us and in us profoundly changes how we see every aspect of our day. “A number of us didn’t believe in God when we joined a Twelve Step program. Or if we did, many of us believed in a demanding or punishing God who had no relevance to our daily life. What a difference it makes to let a loving God take charge of our thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and plans for the future.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 16 *As We Understand God I was one of those individuals that didn’t believe in God when I joined a Twelve Step program. I was a devout atheist, and even though I’d suffered with an eating disorder my entire life, it took me five years … Continue reading →

So Much Has Been Given Me

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One of this morning’s readings was focused on gratitude. It included the following quote: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart. So much has been given me, I have no time to ponder over that which has been denied.” – Helen Keller Helen Keller was an American author and educator who was blind and deaf. Her education and training represent an extraordinary accomplishment in the education of persons with these disabilities. Now, I’d heard the first statement, but I’d never heard the second one, “So much has been given me, I have no time to ponder over that which has been denied.” It is quite humbling for me to hear those words from a person who had such a challenging life after becoming blind and deaf at 19 months of age due to an illness (possibly scarlet fever) and was left with only the sense of touch as a means to communicate with others. With the tremendous help and dedication of her remarkable teacher Anne Sullivan, she graduated from Radcliffe College, the first deaf blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. She led a rich … Continue reading →

Body, Mind, and Soul

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I’m back home tonight, Monday evening, from my trip to the Big City. It was brief but rich, and today has been busy and eclectic, exhausting my body, mind, and soul. After meditating in my hotel room, I managed to arrange the room so I had sufficient space to do my Naam Yoga stretches and poses as I chanted. After breakfast and some computer work, I packed and it was off to my naturopathic doctor (NMD) for a 90-minute session, a treat. On the drive over, stopped at a red light, a man was standing in the hot Phoenix sun and heat seeking money. NO ONE, should have to do that to survive. I opened my window and handed him a $5 bill, and said “God bless.” As I drove away, I was in tears, so touched by this person’s situation. I may not have stood in the hot sun seeking money, but I’ve been without a home, without sufficient funds. I didn’t care what he used the money for—alcohol, food, water, rent—just as long as he could know that there are people who care and want to help. No matter what has put him in that situation—mental illness, alcoholism, … Continue reading →

My Level of Acceptance

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“… acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation—some fact of my life—unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God’s world by mistake… unless I accept life completely on life’s terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and my attitudes.” (pg. 417) “… my serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance. (pg. 420) – “Alcoholics Anonymous,” Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., Fourth Edition As the world opens up and I step out interacting with more people than I have during the past two years, I am getting the opportunity to see how accepting I am of the people, places, and situations coming across my path in my new community. Today I was disturbed by a situation, but I am grateful to know that instead of pointing the finger at it, … Continue reading →

Early Evening Serenity

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This evening I came upon the above quote and image and it was perfect for where my heart and soul are right now. After today’s occurrences and emotions, early evening serenity is most welcomed and soothing. It made me think about The Serenity Prayer, the first prayer I uttered in the Twelve Step rooms, when I starting coming to believe. 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. This often-recited prayer in the rooms is an excerpt from a longer prayer commonly attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr. It is considered a Christian prayer, and although its origins are a bit unclear, its impacts are not. The Serenity Prayer serves as a focal point for the very spirit of the Twelve Step program. You can see that even more so in the longer version, which speaks of living “one day at a time,” a hugely powerful slogan heard regularly, even said by folks not in the Twelve Step program. There are numerous variations of the long version; here’s one: God grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the … Continue reading →