From my own experience, I've come to appreciate the simplicity and power wrapped in the lines of the Serenity Prayer. It's become an anchor in my life, especially during those ordinary moments of frustration, like when I'm stuck in traffic or facing a challenging coworker. This episode takes you on a quick journey through the transformative effects of this prayer, exploring how acceptance, courage, and wisdom can dramatically shift our perspective on life's inevitable challenges. It's not just about reciting words; it's about living them, and I'll share anecdotes that bring their meaning to life, offering you a daily tool for peace amidst chaos.
We often overlook the strength found in daily reflection and prayer, underestimating its potential to reshape our approach to self-improvement and the world at large. In this conversation, I reveal how these practices can lead to more compassionate reactions and a more connected society. The Harmony Foundation serves as a touchstone for this episode, exemplifying the power of support and unity. Tune in to discover how collective efforts can uplift us all as we strive to build a stronger self and, ultimately, a society that thrives on empathy and understanding.
For over 50 years, Harmony Foundation has worked as a nonprofit to serve those seeking recovery from substance addictions. Our residential and intensive outpatient programs are in a collaborative and respectful treatment environment with multiple specialty tracks offering additional support. Our main campus is nestled on a 43-acre campus in the Rocky Mountains just outside of Estes Park, Colorado, that promotes physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. With one of the most robust alumni programs in the county, clients remain connected and empowered for a lifelong journey of recovery.
Hey, hey, welcome to season three, episode three of Monday State of Mind brought to you by Harmony Foundation. My name is Michael Mausel and I am your host. You are all settling in to this amazing new year, what I would like to call an amazing new year. We're in a new year and with that I was like you know what I really want to bring something to the table for all of my listeners. Another amazing tool that I use every single day, one that I will say everybody in the recovery world knows like the back of their hand, and some people don't even realize the power of this prayer until they really pause and think about wow, there is so much depth to it. So I want to talk about the serenity prayer. This is how the serenity prayer goes. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Now let me tell you.
Speaker 1:
When I first heard this prayer, when I got sober, honestly I had no idea what it meant. I didn't know what it was. All I knew is that we were saying this prayer every single day, multiple times a day, in treatment. We were saying this prayer in meetings that I went to, to open meetings, to close meetings this prayer was everywhere and it was infiltrating my life. In the beginning, I just said it, to say it, until people started to explain it to me and I realized how powerful this prayer was becoming, not just for me as a person in recovery. I'm going to tell all of you, it's not just about for people in recovery. This prayer is really a game changer for anybody that's not in recovery, and here's why we're going to break this down. So we're going to start with the word God. If you don't like that word, if you are agnostic or if you're like you know what, michael, that is not for me. Cool, don't even say that word. You can just sit and pause and be like whatever you are out there. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. You don't even need to say God, you can just say it to whoever you want to say it to, or even just mean it. That the prayers to yourself. Right.
Speaker 1:
When I started saying it very intentionally, I realized it was my ability to sit in moments of discomfort, moments of frustration, moments of anxiety to bring me back to planet Earth, because I say this prayer multiple times in a row and it literally drops my shoulders. This prayer also gets me out of being a victim. What I love about this prayer, too, is all about acceptance. So throughout the day, if I am disturbed or I'm feeling like, oh, like things aren't going my way, I sit with this prayer and I ask myself, michael, can I accept the things I cannot change? Michael, do you have the courage to change the things that you can? And with that, usually, the courage to change the things I can? The only thing I can change is my reaction to what is going on. I get to change how Michael shows up, because I have no business trying to change anything that's out of me. I can't. I have to be in acceptance, like this prayer says, I get to accept the things I cannot change, which is basically everything in my life, except for me. Courage to change the things I can, which is my reaction. And then there's the third part, the wisdom to know the difference. When I first heard the wisdom to know the difference, I was like, oh, that's so, like wooey and cool and powerful and good for you, but really it is the third part and the key part to this, and I say that because sometimes I might not want to accept that I can't change something. I might be like you know what. I just cannot accept that this person is this way. And why do I have to change the way I show up? The wisdom to know the difference in this is to not react and to call a trusted friend so that I can say, hey, I am disturbed, I'm having a hard time accepting this. Can you please help me to see my part and how I can change, because sometimes I need somebody else to point out the wisdom, the truth that I need to see so that I can find relief in that moment, in that situation, whatever it is.
Speaker 1:
Examples, I will tell you that I use this on the regular is when I'm stuck in traffic. If you live in Colorado, you know that I 25 and I 70 can be a nightmare, even if you're just behind somebody that's going so freaking slow, so slow. When I'm stuck in traffic, I say this serenity prayer and I'm like you know what, michael, why are you getting all worked up? There is no reason for you to waste all of this energy. Can you just take a moment and realize. You know what I get to accept that I am stuck in traffic. I get to change how I feel, because being upset, angry, frustrated, pissed off is not gonna change any of this. So can I just be here for a minute in this traffic and be like I'm grateful that I can sit in a car, a warm car, I'm grateful that I have a phone that I can call a friend, I'm grateful that I might have the radio to listen to music. But what can I do for a perspective shift right here, right now? And then the wisdom to know the difference. This is huge.
Speaker 1:
The wisdom to know the difference with all these situations is literally are you going to accept and pause or are you going to accept and fight? The wisdom to know the difference is being able to accept and pause and not react, and to change your reaction. I'm telling you guys, I say this prayer when I'm dealing with an obnoxious person. I know that I can't change how they're acting, but I can change how I'm showing up. I say this prayer when I'm about to walk it into a big meeting at work, being able to say you know what? God, big man upstairs, whatever I want to say please grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, which is people's reactions. Courage to change the things I can, which is how I interpret and receive feedback, and the wisdom to know the difference and call a friend if I need to. This prayer literally has saved me so many times from acting out and from not being a productive person in society, and so I was like I have to offer this gold to everybody and everybody in recovery.
Speaker 1:
If you're in recovery listening to this podcast, maybe ask yourself do I utilize this prayer? Do I really look at what this prayer can do for me throughout the day, multiple times a day, I'm telling you guys, arm yourself with this to be able to go through your day with a little more peace, with a little more acceptance, with a little less ego and a little more humility. What's interesting about my evolution with this serenity prayer is that in the beginning, when I first got sober and I heard this prayer and I knew that there was action to be taken, when I would say this prayer, I would dig my heels in, and when I knew that I should say this prayer, you guys, I Wouldn't say it. I purposely would not say it, because I was like damn it, now I actually have to look itself and do something about it and I would sit in my shit. I would sit in victimization, I would sit in it and that is not a place you want to sit, because it's scary.
Speaker 1:
I will say, sometimes accepting Responsibility and accepting that we play a part and accepting that we can take action is Is scary when all we want to do is just wish the situation away and wish that things were different and wave that magic wand right. That's not reality and that's not truth. What truth is is that we all have a part and are we going to take Control and have a productive part in how we show up, and that is why the serenity prayer is so powerful. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Powerful right Three steps Let me accept the things I cannot change. Let me please have the courage to change the things that I can and let me know the wisdom so that I don't dig myself An even bigger hole.
Speaker 1:
This tool is Is something that again, I feel I have found freedom. I can't believe how different my mindset is After really choosing to utilize this on a daily basis, multiple times a day. So this is my invitation to you take this prayer, whether you're in recovery or not. You don't even have to believe in anything. You just have to know that this prayer is an action item. It is the ability for you to pause, to get into action and to hopefully get into right action and To be able to reflect and be like. I'm so glad I took a moment and said this prayer so that I could have a perspective shift, so that my day could go a better way than it was about to go Right.
Speaker 1:
We're all about building better humans here on Monday State of Mind, and so I wanted to offer this to you because this has been a game-changer in my life. It's been a game-changer in, I would say, thousands, maybe even millions of people's lives, for us to be able to really just pause and Watch magic happen for you, for your life. When you pause, you say this prayer, you accept where you're at, you accept what you can change, which is your reaction and, if needed, you call a friend to help you get through this. We are in this together, one badass day at a time. So, with that.
Speaker 1:
Take this prayer, write it down, put it in your phone screenshot. It get busy Implementing this as a part of your daily life to be able to become a better human and react in a much better fashion. Before we part ways, I want to remind you that help is available. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please reach out to Harmony Foundation at 970-586-4491. Just remember that together we build better humans. All right, you guys. I'll see you next time.