2007-11-10 20:19:35 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Psychology
There is need for each one of us to read the serenity prayer with proper focus and "implement it" all the time.
"The Serenity Prayer was reputedly written by Boethius, a stoic philosopher, just before his execution, in the year 525 or 526. Common fable has it, that this prayer, was written by Reinhold Niebuhr on July 1, 1943 for the Union Church of Heath, Massachusetts. Niebuhr is reported to have stated that, as far as he knew, it originated in the eighteenth century or even many centuries earlier.
The version below, is the version, attributed to Friedrich Christoph Oetinger (1702-1782).
God give me the detachment to accept those things I cannot alter,
The courage to alter those things I can alter;
And the wisdom to distinguish the one thing from the other.
The prayer is reported to have been used within Alcoholics Anonymous early in 1942. It is used in Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and other Twelve-step programs.
Most people are familiar with this version made popular by Alcoholics Anonymous :
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.
This version is said to be Dr. Eberhard Zink's favorite. It is found in a letter, supposedly written by his wife :
God give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things which should/must be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Here is a version of the prayer that was extended anonymously :
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.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right, if I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with Him forever in the next. "
2007-11-10 21:04:03 · answer #1 · answered by Sam 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think 'if only' is an all to human reaction to looking back at a situation where we feel our judgment might have effected a situation that might have changed the course of our life as it is now, for better or worse. If we are all honest we'll probably find loads throughout our lives! However my biggest 'what if' was when a girl asked me to marry her. She lived in another country, which I was working in at the time and I would have probably moved over there. Considering I'm in a same sex relationship now, I always think 'what if I had said yes' all the possible variations from that!
2007-11-11 04:50:22 · answer #2 · answered by waggy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if only my dad didnt climb on my roof to tarp it after the tree squashed it,he did it as SES werent able to come for hours,he felt light headed and didnt feel right,he continued with the tarping.Well he went to the doctor and we found out he had inoperable cancer.See he was in a truck accident 6mths earlier and he got sick,he was supposed to see a doctor and didnt,IF ONLY...
2007-11-11 04:36:14 · answer #3 · answered by shrebee 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes,
my best friend came to visit me one evening and i was chatting to him
i knew he had some mental health problems and i said to him, that surely if you feel suicidal there are people who feel a lot worse than you and they carry on living
my "if only" is if only i asked him am i going to see you again because he killed himself the next day, this was his way of saying goodbye, inside i knew this but wasnt brave enough to ask, if only i was
xxx vici
2007-11-11 04:25:34 · answer #4 · answered by vici 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes everyone has thoughts,you can't help it,it's a natural thing .
2007-11-11 04:26:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like you regret not doing enough in life.
I think we all have regrets.
If only i did this and that blah blah.
There are a few (if only) that are begining to haunt me now.
2007-11-11 04:26:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
YESS IF I DIDNT HAVE TO WORK IF ONLY I HAD MORE MONEY I COULD DO WHAT i want my house would be clean &orginized i could spend more time on computer IF ONLY I AM GLAD IHAVE MY JOBS & my health & my family &friends
2007-11-11 10:54:26 · answer #7 · answered by funseeker 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if only i had more money i could help so many people, the more people i help the more money they would want, the more i wish i had none if only i could accept things the way they are "if only" wouldn't exist
2007-11-11 04:30:16 · answer #8 · answered by Jenny G 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes i do and as soon as i notice them sneaking in I let them go as they are just a waste of energy.You did what you did,and when you know better you do better,no point in looking back
2007-11-11 05:03:47 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not as often as I used to. Doubt, especially self-doubt can be harmful.
2007-11-11 06:45:24 · answer #10 · answered by GeeCee 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋