This strategy, too, is doomed to failure.Īn alcoholic’s quest for absolute control can lead to misery, which may contribute to substance abuse problems. Second is the attempt to control feelings by medicating them with mood-altering chemicals. First is an attempt to control the behavior of others, a strategy that addicts cling to despite its repeated failure. What blocks some alcoholics and addicts from achieving serenity is their intense desire to achieve a sense of absolute control-one that is simply not possible for human beings. In the book Alcoholics Anonymous (published by AA World Services), Bill described the core trait of alcoholics as self-centeredness-something he called "self-will run riot." He further described the alcoholic as "an actor who wants to run the whole show is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet, the scenery and the rest of the players in his own way." Bill's solution: "First of all, we had to quit playing God." The prayer’s message about acceptance echoes insights from Bill W., cofounder of AA. The Serenity Prayer accurately expresses a central problem of addiction and prescribes a timeless solution. Living the Serenity Prayer in Recovery from Alcohol or Drug Addictionįor many, the first verse of the Serenity Prayer serves as a daily touchstone, reminding us that to achieve serenity, we must approach each moment with wisdom and courage. The Serenity Prayer spread both through Niebuhr’s sermons and church groups in the 1930s and 1940s, and was later adopted and popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous and other Twelve Step programs. There it was credited to American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971). Many AA members were first exposed to the prayer in 1948, when it was quoted in the Grapevine, an AA periodical. The Serenity Prayer has been variously attributed to an ancient Sanskrit text, Aristotle, St. The full Serenity Prayer text has stronger religious overtones.Īlso there are conflicting accounts of the prayer's origin. There are several versions of the Serenity Prayer, each with slightly different wording that support groups have adopted. And, although the origin is thought to be Christian, the Serenity Prayer is applicable to your daily life regardless of religion or spiritual belief system. The Serenity Prayer meshes perfectly with the spirituality of AA's Twelve Steps. In fact, these 25 words are heard in most every AA meeting and widely taken as a succinct statement of a path to sanity and sobriety. Members of Alcoholics Anonymous have enthusiastically embraced this prayer-known as the Serenity Prayer-almost from the moment they discovered it. AA, the Twelve Steps and the Serenity Prayer So that I may be reasonably happy in this lifeĪmen. The Full Serenity PrayerĪccepting hardships as the pathway to peace Below, we provide the full Serenity Prayer along with an examination of its history, meaning and importance so that we all might carry its lessons closely and transform common hardships into a calming surrender. The Serenity Prayer serves as a focal point for the very spirit of AA, anchoring its members to its quintessential teachings about surrender and acceptance. Although its origins are a bit unclear, its impacts are not. This often used AA prayer is an excerpt from a longer prayer commonly attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr. God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, These simple words ring clear through the hearts and minds of Alcoholics Anonymous members across the world:
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