When you're brand-new to your quit, all the slogans and encouragement are wonderful but maybe it also feels kind of weird. You feel fearful and worried and anxious, and the what ifs can drive you nuts. Here's the truth: No one feels 100% sure at first, of anything really. That's where the Serenity Prayer comes in. Remember that? I realize it isn't part of our thing here; it's an AA or NA thing. But let's look at it for a minute.
God grant me - Your higher power, however you imagine that to be. Religion is not required.
the Serenity - Calm that fear, that anxiety, the worries.
to accept - Acceptance does not mean you have to like it. Reality does not require your approval.
the things I cannot change - You cannot change addiction. It's a fact. It's also a fact that smoking is killing you.
Courage - Notice how courage comes AFTER serenity. Once you calm yourself, you find your courage.
to change - What has to change? How we think about addiction and smoking or vaping.
the things I can - What do we have control over? Our thoughts, our own behavior.
Wisdom - Comes with time, experience, and effort.
to know - Learn from mistakes, from your time in No Man's Land
the difference - Self-awareness will come as you walk the path, and lead back to acceptance.
Anyone who knows this Serenity Prayer also knows that it means very little when first recited. It's only with time, and effort, and experience that it gets to be a part of you. So at first, you just say it, and hope for the best. And you learn from your Elders, and you work to keep your quit precious. You fake it till you make it.
