I am only in control of my choices and reactions
I accept that I am not my own higher power
I recognize that in order to begin to experience serenity I must accept that I am powerless over people places and things
I will be present in the understanding that "Thy will be done"
I know your hand guides my life through all joys and hardships
I have experienced many times the presence of your influence when I choose to believe that you have y back through any storm
You have never failed to provide and lead me to gentler shores
I ask you to oversee my journey through the twelve steps
Please continue to place me where I can be taught by the experience, strength, and hope of others who have walked the path of recovery, both before and after me
Continue to help me grow and to learn how to care about myself and take care of myself when the chaos of others bangs on my door looking to disrupt my hard earned serenity
Help me to be open to truly discovering and uncovering more about myself
Help me be brave in the face of hard truths
Help me to be brave enough to be true to myself when fear motivates old patterns in my behavoir
Help me remember how to show up as my best self or to forgive myself when I don't
Guide me from step to step and from day to day as I practice what I am learning on this journey
Help me walk honestly and to be vulnerable when appropriate
Use my voice to help others when I share my experiences
Place me in the time and place that I am needed and that I need
Be the gateway that marks my path to a new way of living and continue to speak loudly in my life as you always have
Help me to remember you are always beside me, even in the darkest despair
You are always the light of hope that reminds me it cannot always be night
I surrender to your loving will and plan for my life
I am only in control of my choices and reactions
I accept that I am not my own higher power
I recognize that in order to begin to experience serenity I must accept that I am powerless over people places and things
I will be present in the understanding that "Thy will be done"
I know your hand guides my life through all joys and hardships
I have experienced many times the presence of your influence when I choose to believe that you have y back through any storm
You have never failed to provide and lead me to gentler shores
I ask you to oversee my journey through the twelve steps
Please continue to place me where I can be taught by the experience, strength, and hope of others who have walked the path of recovery, both before and after me
Continue to help me grow and to learn how to care about myself and take care of myself when the chaos of others bangs on my door looking to disrupt my hard earned serenity
Help me to be open to truly discovering and uncovering more about myself
Help me be brave in the face of hard truths
Help me to be brave enough to be true to myself when fear motivates old patterns in my behavoir
Help me remember how to show up as my best self or to forgive myself when I don't
Guide me from step to step and from day to day as I practice what I am learning on this journey
Help me walk honestly and to be vulnerable when appropriate
Use my voice to help others when I share my experiences
Place me in the time and place that I am needed and that I need
Be the gateway that marks my path to a new way of living and continue to speak loudly in my life as you always have
Help me to remember you are always beside me, even in the darkest despair
You are always the light of hope that reminds me it cannot always be night
I surrender to your loving will and plan for my life
-gws
Accepting powerlessness does not equate to resignation. Accepting my powerlessness over people, places, and things is working to accept the things I cannot change or control in a way which invites serenity and hope for a different way of existing.
Resignation is acceptance of what is undesirable, but inevitable. Resignation implies resentment and judgment are involved; a sense of, "I have no choice." Accepting my powerlessness is very much a choice, and an impowered one I'm compelled to make every time I recognize I'm in a situation where I cannot control the details or the outcome.
By accepting my powerlessness, I am making two choices: to care for my own sanity, and to live with hope. In accepting my powerlessness, I can release my self-inflicted codependent chains which weigh me down and add to my suffering. By freeing myself from the compulsive desire to influence the outcome of situations that are not mine to own, manage or fix, I can start to regain a sense of peace and calm.
I can only be responsible for me and my reactions. I cannot take on the responsibility of others, their behavior, or their reactions. Embracing that truth brings a great sense of freedom. Letting go and letting God, in whatever form I envision God, returns me to myself. I'm not trying to herd cats or conduct the orchestra while rewriting the score to "make it better." That's not my job. That's not my responsibility. I cannot prevent or protect others from the consequences of their own choices. I cannot be someone else's higher power, nor do I wish to be.
I strive to stay where my feet are, to check in with myself, and to do my best to only manage me. The rest I have to put into the hands of the higher power of my own imagining, and trust that Power will use my love and faith to bring into being what is in my best interest. I also trust that other people's higher powers will do the same for them.
-gws
Words Wishes and Wisdom 