Accepting My Limits

Am I on the verge of a new attitude rooted in reality, joy, humility, and wisdom?

I have always believed in my heart if not my head that I would fix most of the world’s problems in my lifetime and through my own efforts – aided perhaps by those I inspired to join the cause. 

As the years pass, I reflect on my accomplishments and failures.  My impossible expectations have been scaled back in some cases.  But the essential attitude is still here – the belief that it is up to me to fix the world.  And yet, the world continues along its own path to greatness or perdition unaware of my existence. 

I have tried to heighten ethical awareness, increase honesty and respect among people, fight injustice.  Starting with myself, I’ve tried to get people to do the right thing.  Doing the right thing is as important as ever.  Maybe, in these ethically challenging times, even more important.  But for myself, it might be time to consider reevaluating some objectives. 

I am beginning to think that my extreme goals – my intentions to save the world – have become more frustration than motivating force.  Perhaps I need to change gears, shift my attitude so that I spend less time worrying about eliminating injustice and hypocrisy and more time accepting the world as it is, embracing the situation in which we live with faith. 

Maybe I need to work to increase joy and life and respect and peace in smaller, more attainable, and still meaningful ways. 

Maybe I need to accept the continuing existence, despite all my best efforts, of pain, sorrow, and injustice.

I am beginning to believe that I should notice fewer problems and more wonders, that I should direct my efforts less toward fixing problems and more toward affirmation of the essential goodness of life.  I do affirm, in spite of defeats, pain, and injustice, that an attitude of gratitude and optimism is both reasonable and worthy to be pursued.

I might need to modify my essential ethos - to ground myself more in the reality of daily life than in abstract ideals. 

Of course a great vision and ambitious ideals remain very important.  I will continue to try to improve the big world.  While aspiring to justice and world peace though, I will learn to accept that victories will be incremental, that the war will not be won in one battle, nor in one lifetime.  



Saint Francis of Assisi



I affirm that our human existence as it is now, even when it is painful, even without my improvements, is essentially good.  I will continue to believe that all things, all persons and events, even though we may not understand how, do ultimately contribute to a greater good. 

Perhaps all I am really saying is that I need to accept my limitations.  Maybe it is time for me to pray this prayer I’ve heard for years.  It used to be amusing but now it seems so profound.  Can I can pray this now, and mean it?

"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.”

Serenity I have had sporadically, as I stress over problems then relax in faith then stress once more.  Courage has not usually been a problem, except in a few situations involving heights and no handholds.  Wisdom to know my limits, and the essential humility that goes along with that – those I need.

 

Living this prayer might lead to a life of less frustration and more joy as I refocus on celebrating rather than constantly attempting to fix and reform.  This might have the added advantage of freeing my thoughts and attitudes from constraints of circumstance. 

I am certain that I will continue, especially within the posts on this blog, to identify problems and offer remedies for many.  Even so, I will attempt to keep my campaigns in proper perspective, with all humility.  I will continue to seek to do good, wherever I can, and to move forward in faith. 

I do pray for serenity, courage, and most of all, wisdom.  Amen.

The complete Serenity Prayer is presented below.  It inspires me; I hope it will inspire you, also. 

Gryphem 

'Serenity Prayer' by Reinhold Niebuhr