The Serenity prayer, in various forms, has been adopted and popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other twelve-step programs since the 1940s. It’s a widely recognized prayer that seeks peace and wisdom in accepting things that cannot be changed, courage to change things that can be, and the understanding to distinguish between them. It goes as follows:

"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 prayer was huge for me when I started recovery. It taught me to accept what’s going on, keep going, and focus on the things I can control: not drinking and doing my best today. Many days, I recited this to myself, and it helped motivate me to do the next best thing, which was to stay sober and continue getting healthy.

The Serenity Prayer is a mantra that addresses the fundamental challenges faced by those in recovery: the struggle to accept circumstances that are beyond their control (like the existence of past actions or the presence of addiction in their life), the need for strength and bravery to change their behaviors and habits, and the wisdom to recognize the difference between these two realms.

This prayer helps focus on living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, and accepting hardships as pathways to peace. It emphasizes taking responsibility for our actions while surrendering that not everything is within control. This balance of acceptance is crucial in the journey of recovery from addiction.

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