I’m sure most of you have heard the saying, “…give me the strength to accept that which I cannot change.”
What would happen if we asked instead for the strength to change what we cannot accept? Would we have a very different perspective, or even live a very different life if we were to stand up for what we can no longer accept?
We’re certainly seeing some of that play out right now across the globe with protests and policy changes. We are standing up for what we believe in, on both sides, on all sides, and yet, many of us still remain unsettled and unhappy. I often wonder if that is because the real work, the hard work, is yet to be done—the work that is internal, on ourselves. When we place so much of our happiness, success, and overall wellbeing on an external factor, such as external recognition, external support, or even external justice, it all becomes a fleeting moment of joy and happiness, because ultimately that external source—no matter how powerful and important—is just external.
When we take time to look deep inside ourselves and examine the wounds we carry, perhaps even from generation to generation, and we begin to heal those wounds, a strength within us can change those things within us that we cannot accept. This will allow us to ultimately find joy that is ours alone to cultivate and call upon anytime we choose. We no longer have to wait for others to acknowledge us or give us praise, or “fix” our situation. We will own our happiness, success, and overall well-being, and no one, no external force no matter how strong, can take it away, unless we allow them to.