Action before acceptance

Many of us are familiar with the Serenity Prayer, attributed to Reinhold Neibuhr, which is often associated with remediation programs and is centred on acceptance as a key component of the individual’s recovery.

There are many variations of this prayer, across multiple cultures and religons so there’s clearly something to it. But in capturing its essence, I feel Neibuhr made a subtle change in emphasis, making it more about accepting and less about taking action. Under the circumstances, I can understand that approach but I feel a greater affinity with an earlier version:

Father, give us courage to change what must be altered,

serenity to accept what cannot be helped,

and the insight to know the one from the other

This version appears to advocate action (within reason) before acceptance. This resonates with me and is a key component to achieving that elusive balance between being the best version of yourself without getting too cut up about things out of your control and dropping into a self-defeating victim mentality.

My advice to myself: Take a hard look at yourself, make a plan to fix/adjust/improve/avoid behaviours or situations that are not at the level you know they should be and that are within your power to change. Then spend a bit of time acknowledging to yourself where there is nothing more to be done and move on. And in passing, give yourself a pat on the back for being soooo grown up about it.

Fix the fixable, chalk the rest up to experience. Focus on what you CAN change and get it done. Rinse and repeat.

You may not end up climbing Mt. Everest but the view from Base Camp is still pretty stunning and you’ll be in right frame of mind to enjoy it. #motivation #actionbeforeacceptance #humancentricseller