The Serenity Prayer Part 3 - Wisdom
“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.”- Reinhold Niebuhr
In the past two blogs, we discussed acceptance and the courage to change. This week we will be talking about wisdom.
What comes to mind when you think about wisdom? Some may picture an elderly man or woman wearing their wrinkles and gray hair as a badge of honor. Others might imagine a wise old owl who sits high in a tree, gaining wisdom by observing the patterns and habits of the world around.
Wisdom can generally be defined as having a mix of knowledge, experience, and good judgment.
In the serenity prayer, the author seeks wisdom to know the difference between what he can and cannot change. This is vital. We also need wisdom to help us in many aspects of decision making – the where, when, why, how, and who of life’s questions.
Here are six practical ways to develop more wisdom in your life:
Educate yourself. – If there is a topic you are unsure of or want to learn more about, we live in a world where information is available to us in so many forms.
The internet – while you should always verify a source as reliable, there is much you can learn about almost anything just by researching online.
Take a class – whether online or in person, don’t be afraid to sign up to learn from experts.
Read a book – this is a lost art for many but an invaluable source of wisdom.
Be humble and open-minded. – Nothing can block wisdom faster than thinking you already know it all. When you enter a conversation or new situation, posture yourself as a learner. Everyone can teach you something if you are willing and ready to learn.
Learn from mistakes - yours and others. – No pain or failure is wasted if you learn from it. It is wise to examine a failure and find a lesson. Warren Buffet said, “It’s good to learn from your mistakes. It’s better to learn from other people’s mistakes.” You can learn from observing others to possibly spare yourself from your own difficulty.
Talk with people who are different than you. Listening to someone from a different culture, background, or point of view can open you up to perspectives you may have never considered before. If our mind stays narrow, our world does too.
Try Counseling. – At Light the Way, we believe in the powerful benefit of inviting an outside, unbiased, educated perspective into your situation. Counselors combine their extensive mental health education and training with active listening and attention to recognize patterns in individuals that they are often unable to identify on their own. They can then give you proven tools and methods to break unhealthy patterns and create fruitful new ones. While there is great benefit in talking with a friend or mentor, a counselor may be just what you need to take you to the next level of insight.
Prayer. The fact that the serenity prayer is a prayer implies that we need a source outside of ourselves. We are limited, but God is all-knowing. James 1:5 (NIV) says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” Sometimes even when we have tried to gain more wisdom, we still feel unsure. In these moments, we can take comfort in knowing there is a God who will pour out his wisdom to us if we just ask.
Where could you use more wisdom?
Possibly, like the Serenity Prayer states, you need wisdom to discern between what you need to accept and what you need to work on changing.
Maybe you need wisdom for a big life decision – career, relationship, parenting, or personal.
Perhaps you need wisdom to break out of a harmful cycle or pattern.
I challenge you to take one of these six practical steps this week and see how your wisdom grows!
Written by: Natalie Ruiz, MA, LAC
About Natalie:
Natalie is passionate about helping young people discover their identity, process and heal from trauma, and overcome anxiety and depression. At a time in life where many things are changing, she loves to help young people become grounded within themselves and journey through these years with renewed confidence and peace of mind.