AA recovery.ca

The central fact of our lives today is that our Creator has entered
our hearts and lives in a way that is miraculous. He has commenced to
accomplished those things for us which we could never do for
ourselves.

AA page 25
I know that this is a reality in my life because I have been enabled
to remain sober. Having said that I have both a need and a desire to
grow in faith and trust. God comes to me in the rooms though other
members of the Fellowship
Shalom Bill

To us alcoholics, I believe that “peace of mind” is the paramount
prerequisite to continued sobriety. During our drinking years, we did
not, and could not enjoy “peace of mind.” In the battle for sobriety,
we have four definite enemies of “peace of mind” which require
constant daily combat.

LYING is the enemy No. 1 of “peace of mind” and in connection with all
alcoholics. Lying represents one of the chief germs of the disease,
because we lied about everything when in most cases the truth would
have been better; we lied to get out of the house, on the pretext of
going to the store for groceries, but what we really wanted was
another drink. We lied about where we had been, a last minute meeting
had been called after business hours, which was the cause of our being
late for dinner, but the meeting was actually with the bartender. We
lied about money matters to our wives in order to hold out a few extra
dollars for what we believed our much needed stimulant. Therefore
under such prevarication it is understandable that we had no “peace of
mind.”

RESENTMENT is enemy No. 2 of “peace of mind” because with a heart full
of bitterness, jealousy and resentment, there is certainly no “peace
of mind.” We hated our neighbor because he was a pious, church-going,
prohibitioner, who had on numerous occasions seen us come home in a
condition much the worse for liquor, and maybe he had even offered
words of condolence to our wives, which heaped more searing coals upon
our fire of hate. We resented with fervor, and a sickening jealousy,
the successes of our superiors, even the promotion of our associates,
and sometimes said to ourselves, “Why didn’t I get that promotion
instead of him?” and immediately set out to drown what we felt to be
our troubles. And so, living in the cloak of resentment, it is again
quite understandable that we had no “peace of mind.”

INTOLERANCE is enemy No. 3 of “peace of mind.” It is the inability of
an individual to cope with the smallest irritation. If we should make
an error we excuse ourselves with the thought that it is human nature
to err, but just let some one else make a comparable error and what
happens? You know, we blow up –and did we make any effort to help the
erring person? No! We were intolerant and couldn’t understand how any
one could be so dumb, and if we happened to be in a position of
authority, we were more than likely to let off our super dynamic,
egocentric, self-esteemed, arrogant, alcoholic steam, by firing the
poor erring individual, not giving two hoots what happened to him or
his family. So here again, we had no “peace of mind.”

SELFISHNESS is enemy No. 4 of “peace of mind.” Looking back, how many
times have the children gone to bed without milk, simply because the
alcoholic needed the last 50 cents in the house for a half pint of
“rot gut?” How many times have the lights been cut off, the gas cut
off, credit at the grocery discontinued, and many other necessities of
life been denied our families, because of that unquenchable thirst of
selfishness? In short, every alcoholic, at some time during his
drinking career has gone through this nightmare, and could any one
mean to say that we could have “peace of mind” under these conditions?

There are many more enemies of “peace of mind”, but these four seem to
be the outstanding. Some readers might want to change their
arrangement, but regardless of arrangement, we must agree, they are
all important enemies of “peace of mind”: 1. LYING: 2. RESENTMENT: 3.
INTOLERANCE: 4. SELFISHNESS.

Perhaps as a new-member of A.A. you may ask, “What do the enemies of
‘peace of mind’ have to do with my sobriety? After all, the only thing
I am interested in right now is sobriety.”

This is a very natural, and very good question, and helps firmly to
establish the fact, even more solidly, that you are definitely an
alcoholic! . . . Without “peace of mind” we will not now, and never
experience continued sobriety. We will not now, and never experience
“peace of mind” until we start getting rid of the enemies of “peace of
mind.”

How are we to eradicate these enemies?

TRUTH. Let us substitute truth for lying. This is a lethal weapon
against our enemy No. 1, and truth is the first step in obtaining, and
retaining “peace of mind.” Now we are able to face our fellow-man, our
neighbor, our friend, our loved ones, with an open heart and mind. We
have nothing to cover up, or hide, behind the enemy of “peace of mind”
any longer. We are free once more, and have also gained in self-
respect and self-confidence, because now we are on the first step to
genuine “peace of mind.”

LOVE, RESPECT, PRIDE (in the success of others). These we must
substitute for resentment. America is the land of the free and
remember, our neighbor is privileged to be a church-goer, a
prohibitioner, or anything else he desires, because he is to be
respected. An expression of pride at the successes of our superiors,
or associates, will always reflect most favorably upon the expressor.
How many times have we held resentment for the ones we love the most?
But that was because they didn’t understand our illness and were
constantly attempting to make us quit drinking.

Do you want to see the wife brighten up, and bend over backward to do
things for you? Then substitute love for that resentment. The very
small expression of appreciation toward a loved one will change a
clouded picture to one of sunshine and brightness. Just a word of
praise makes the little wife feel a whole lot more like doing the very
things she always has, and always will do for us. This game of
substituting love for resentment works both ways, girls, so let’s not
have it a one sided affair. Remember, the old man likes to hear words
of praise and encouragement, too. And now we have taken our second
step toward “peace of mind”.

TOLERANCE. We shall substitute this for intolerance. Courtesy,
kindness, and helpfulness toward others. The small irritations which
once caused us to be intolerant are merely problems of the other
fellow. We may be able to help him by exercising patience and
tolerance. In so doing we are building better and stronger foundations
for our own character thus making the ease with which we maintain our
sobriety, a pillar of strength in our very lives. At this point, being
tolerant does not mean that we turn into spineless, wishy-washy jelly
fish. We must season tolerance with a fixed determination of firmness.
Here is a very fine line which must be guarded against crossing
because a fixed determination of firmness unseasoned with tolerance
can surely back-fire into critical narrow-mindedness. The success of
your tolerance in obtaining, and maintaining “peace of mind” is a big
factor in the maintaining of sobriety.

UNSELFISHNESS. Here substituted for selfishness, which involves first
the practice of giving, and doing for others: your fellow man, your
friends, neighbors and family. It is even possible to experience a
spiritual awakening, mentioned in our A.A. 12 steps, in the practice
of unselfishness, because you will recall that, “It is more blessed to
give than to receive.” And now that we are living in a new world of
truth, love, tolerance, and unselfishness, we find it quite pleasant
to be able to meet each new day, and the problems it presents, because
we have a new and better understanding of normal life and a sane and
sober capability to cope with any and all conditions that arise.

There is only one road to joy, happiness, success, prosperity, and
“peace of mind” (for the alcoholic) and that is sobriety. If you
really want sobriety more than anything else in this world, you can
have it and it doesn’t cost you one cent. Alcoholics Anonymous stands
ready and willing to teach you, and guide you along this road to joy,
happiness, success, prosperity, and “peace of mind”.

Don G.
Florida

I Believe…
That just because two people argue, that
doesn’t mean they don’t love each other.
And just because they don’t argue, that
doesn’t mean they do love each other..

I Believe…
That sometimes when I’m angry
I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe…
That we don’t have to change friends if
we understand that friends change.

I Believe…
That no matter how good a friend is,
they’re going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe…
That true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I Believe…
That you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe…
That it’s taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.

I Believe…
That you should always leave loved ones with
loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe…
That you can keep going long after
you think you can’t.

I Believe…
That we are responsible for what
we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe…
That either you control your
attitude or it controls you.

I Believe…
That heroes are the people who do what
has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.

I Believe…
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe…
That my best friend and I can do anything,
or nothing, and have the best time.

I Believe….
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you
when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe…
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences
you’ve had, and what you’ve learned from them…
and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

I Believe…
That it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe…
That no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

I Believe…
That our background and circumstances
may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe…
That you shouldn’t be so eager to find
out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I Believe…
Two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different…

I Believe…
That your life can be changed in a matter of
hours by people who don’t even know you.

I Believe…
That even when you think you have no more to give, if
a friend cries out to you…you will find the strength to help.

I Believe…
That credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe…
That the people you care about most in life
are taken from you too soon.

I Believe…
That you should send this to all of the
people that you believe in. I just did.

The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of
everything;
they just make the most of everything.

Thank you to all the wonderful people
who help us throughout the journey of life!

passing this on - author unknown

C H A N G E = Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Every day

B E S T = Been Enjoying Sobriety Today?

F I N E = Free, Independent, New and Energetic

T H I N K = The Happiness I Never Knew

S O B E R = Son Of a Basket, Everything’s Real

A A’s - R - U S = Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery Unity Service

S T E P S = Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety

GOD
SAYING THIS WORD I AM ADMITTING THE EXISTENCE OF A CONSCIOUSNESS OR? OF? A HIGHER POWER THAT IS GREATER THAN I.
GRANT
SAYING THIS SECOND WORD, I AM ADMITTING THAT THIS CONSCIOUSNESS OR HIGHER POWER IS ABLE TO BESTOW AND GIVE TO ME AND TO OTHERS.
ME THE
I AM ASKING SOMETHING FOR MYSELF. HOLY BOOKS SAY THAT IF I ASK SINCERELY, IT SHALL BE GIVEN. IT IS NOT WRONG TO ASK FOR IMPROVING MYSELF. FOR WITH THE IMPROVEMENT OF MY CHARACTER, BOTH I AND PEOPLE AROUND ME WILL BE HAPPIER, AND MY RELATIONSHIPS WILL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE TO IMPROVE.
SERENITY
I AM ASKING FOR CALMNESS, COMPOSURE AND INNER PEACE IN MY LIFE WHICH WILL ENABLE ME TO TRANSCEND MY EGO, TO THINK STRAIGHT AND TO GOVERN MYSELF PROPERLY.
TO ACCEPT
I AM RESIGNING MYSELF TO CONDITIONS AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW. I AM LIVING IN THE NOW, THE PRESENT MOMENT.
THE THINGS
I ACKNOWLEDGE MY TRAGEDY, DEATH, SUFFERING, ILLNESS AND PAIN, AS A PART OF MY LIFE, NEITHER GOOD NOR BAD. I ACCEPT MY HUMANNESS AND FALLIBILITY. I AM ACCEPTING MY LOT IN LIFE AS IT IS. UNTIL I HAVE THE COURAGE TO CHANGE ANY PART OF MY LIFE I DON’T LIKE, I MUST ACCEPT IT, WITHOUT DOING SO GRUDGINGLY.
I CANNOT CHANGE
I CAN’T PREVENT THESE EVENTS OR CONDITIONS FROM HAPPENING TO ME OR TO OTHERS.
COURAGE
A QUALITY WHICH ENABLES ME TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS AND REALITIES OF LIFE WITHOUT RELIANCE ON ALCOHOL OR DRUGS. A DETERMINATION TO STAND MY GROUND AND “SLUG IT OUT” WITH ALL ISSUES, PLEASANT OR OTHERWISE, THAT MIGHT RETURN ME TO DRINKING OR USING. A STRENGTH OF MY SPIRIT TO FACE AND HANDLE THE NEGATIVE. FEARLESSNESS IN THE PRACTICE OF FAITH, HUMILITY AND HONESTY.
TO CHANGE
IN FACING THESE NEGATIVES DIRECTLY AND HONESTLY, I AM ASKING FOR MYSELF AND MY LIFE CONDITIONS TO BE DIFFERENT FOR ME. I AM TAKING AN ACTIVE PART IN THIS CHANGING.
THE THINGS I CAN
I AM ASKING FOR HELP TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS. EVERYTHING IS NOT THE WAY I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE IN MY LIFE. I MUST CONTINUE TO FACE REALITY AND CONSTANTLY WORK TOWARD MY CONTINUED GROWTH AND PROGRESS.
AND WISDOM
I AM ASKING FOR THE ABILITY TO RISE ABOVE MY EGO AND FORM SOUND JUDGMENTS ABOUT MYSELF AND MY LIFE. I THEN USE MY ABILITY TO ASK FOR GUIDANCE FROM MYSELF, OTHERS AND A HIGHER POWER.
TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND CLEARLY TRUTHS OF FACT. I WANT TO SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY IN MY LIFE SO THAT I WILL BE MORE AWARE OF MYSELF AND OF OTHERS. I NEED TO SENSE A DEFINITE VALUE IN LOVING OVER BEING SELFISH.

This leaflet is intended for people approaching Alcoholics Anonymous (A. A.) for the first time.

In it we have tried to answer the questions most frequently in the minds of newcomers - the questions which were in our minds when we first approached the Fellowship.

Am I an alcoholic?

If you repeatedly drink more than you intend or want to, if you get into trouble, or if you have memory lapses when you drink, you may be an alcoholic. Only you can decide. No one in A. A. will tell you whether you are or not.

What can I do if I am worried about my drinking?

You can seek help. Alcoholics Anonymous can help.

What is Alcoholics Anonymous?

We are a Fellowship of men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking and have found ourselves in various kinds of trouble as a result of drinking. We attempt - most of us successfully - to create a satisfying way of life without alcohol. For this we find we need the help and support of other alcoholics in A.A.

If I go to an A. A. meeting, does that commit me to anything?

No. A. A. does not keep membership files, or attendance records. You do not have to reveal anything about yourself. No one will bother you if you don’t want to come back

What happens if I meet people I know in A. A.?

They will be there for the same reason you are there. They will not disclose your identity to outsiders. At A. A. you retain as much anonymity as you wish. That is one of the reasons we call ourselves Alcoholics Anonymous.

What happens at an A.A. meeting?
An A. A. meeting may take one of several forms, but at any meeting you will find alcoholics talking about what drinking did to their lives and personalities, what actions they took to help themselves, and how they are living their lives today.

How can this help me with my drinking problem?

We in A.A. know what it is like to be addicted to alcohol, and to be unable to keep promises made to others and to ourselves that we will stop drinking. We are not professional therapists. Our only qualification for helping others to recover from alcoholism is that we have stopped drinking ourselves, but problem drinkers coming to us know that recovery is possible because they see people who have done it.

Why do A. A.’s keep on going to meetings after they are cured?
We in A. A believe there is no such thing as a cure for alcoholism. We can never return to normal drinking, and our ability to stay away from alcohol depends on maintaining our physical, mental, and spiritual health. This we can achieve by going to meetings regularly and putting into practice what we learn there. In addition, we find it helps us to stay sober if we help other alcoholics.

How do I join A.A.?
You are an A.A. member if and when you say so, The only requirement for A. A. membership is a desire to stop drinking, and many of us were not very wholehearted about that when we first approached A.A.

How much does A. A. membership cost?
There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership. An A. A. group will usually have a collection during the meeting to cover expenses, such as rent, coffee, etc., aand to this all members are free to contribute as much or as little as they wish.

Is A.A. a religious organization?

No. Nor is it allied with any religious organization.

There’s a lot of talk about God, though, isn’t there?

The majority of A. A. members believe that we have found the solution to our drinking problem not through individual willpower, but through a power greater than ourselves. However, everyone defines this power as he or she wishes. Many people call it God, others think it is the A.A. group, still others don’t believe in it at all. There is room in A. A. for people of all shades of belief and nonbelief.

Can I bring my family to an A.A. meeting?

Family members or close friends are welcome at “Open” A.A. meetings. Discuss this with your local contact.

What advice do you give new members?

In our experience, the people who recover in A.A.
are those who:

(a) stay away from the first drink;

(b) attend A.A. meetings regularly;

(c) seek out the people in A.A. who have successfully stayed sober for some time;

(d) try to put into practice the A.A. program of
recovery.

How can I contact A.A.?
Look for Alcoholics Anonymous in your local telephone directory. Theses telephones are answered by A.A. volunteers who will be happy to answer your questions, or put you in touch with those who can. If there is no A.A. telephone service close to you, write or phone the A.A. General Service Office.

Remember that alcoholism is a progressive disease. Take it seriously, even if you feel you are only in the early stages of the illness. Alcoholism kills people. If you are an alcoholic, and if you continue to drink, in time you will get worse.

About two-thirds of this article was taken from The White Paper: Effectiveness of Substance Abuse Treatment, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, February, 1995. The balance was written by Charles N. Roper, PhD, LCDC.

Among the hundreds of myths surrounding addiction and drug rehab treatment, the following are especially relevant to individuals who are beginning to question the true nature of their relationship with addictive substances and are considering the possibility of seeking treatment.

Myth: Addiction is a bad habit, the result of moral weakness and over-indulgence.

Fact: Addiction is a chronic, life-threatening condition, like hypertension, arteriosclerosis, and adult diabetes.

Fact: Addiction has roots in genetic susceptibility, social circumstance, and personal behavior.

Fact: Certain drugs are highly addictive, rapidly causing biochemical and structural changes in the brain. Others can be used for longer periods of time before they begin to cause inescapable cravings and compulsive use.

Myth: Bad, stupid, and crazy people are most susceptible to becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs.

Fact: Addiction is an equal opportunity disease. It does not discriminate in any way against any class of people. It strikes equally among individuals in all ethnic, socio-economic, intelligence, and emotional wellness categories.

Myth: If an addict has enough willpower, he or she can stop abusing alcohol and using drugs.

Fact: Few people addicted to alcohol and other drugs can simply stop using them, no matter how strong their inner resolve. Most need at least one course of structured substance abuse treatment to end their dependence on alcohol and other drugs. Some achieve sobriety through participation in community-based support organizations (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous), but relapse rates under this condition are very high. The most effective approach is one that combines structured treatment and community-based support.

Myth: Many people relapse, so treatment obviously does not work.

Fact: Like every other medical treatment, addiction treatment centers cannot guarantee lifelong recovery. Relapse is often a part of the recovery process; it is always possible–and treatable. Even if a person never achieves perfect abstinence, addiction treatment can reduce the number and duration of relapses, lower the incidence of related problems such as crime and poor overall health, improve the individual’s ability to function in daily life, and strengthen the individual to better cope with the next temptation or craving. These improvements reduce the social and economic costs of addiction.

Myth: People with alcohol and other drug problems must attend 28-day hospital-based treatment programs, where they dry out and emerge new individuals, cured of their problems.

Fact: Treatment is provided in many different settings, in many different ways, and for different lengths of time. It is provided in hospitals, residential facilities, free-standing clinics, and counselors’ and therapists’ private offices. Treatment often follows a “continuum of care,” within which the individual participates in one or more levels of care. These levels range from highly restrictive and intensive to only slightly restrictive and intensive, as follows:

Medically supervised detoxification;

Intensive residential treatment;

Extended residential care;

Halfway house, or supported living;

Partial hospitalization, or day treatment;

Intensive outpatient treatment;

Supportive outpatient treatment;

Continuing Care; and

Individual counseling and therapy.

Myth: Once sobriety is achieved, whether with or without the benefit of treatment, most individuals can eventually return to social use of alcohol and/or drugs.

Fact: Addiction is a chronic condition that does not disappear, even after extended periods of sobriety. This is true regardless of the individual’s drug of choice, level of self-control, or length of abstinence.

Myth: An individual who is addicted to one drug or family of drugs can undergo treatment for and recover from addiction to that particular drug and still use other drugs with impunity.

Fact: Cross-addiction nearly always occurs when an addict tries to switch drugs, regardless of the reason. Cross-addiction invariably takes the form of one or the other of two possible outcomes: 1) The individual quickly becomes addicted to the second substance, or 2) The individual returns to the original drug while under the influence of the second one.

Myth: We have reached the limits of what we can do to treat addiction.

Fact: The more we learn about addiction, the more effective treatment becomes. Even though current treatment methods are far from perfect, today’s treatment providers are being challenged to stretch their knowledge base and find more effective approaches to prevention, intervention, and treatment.

My life in the last couple of years have had a lot of lost in it, that made me feel pretty bad about life in general .I lost my catering business about four years ago ,I gave it my all. The home I had sold it because of money problem. And my wife and I were on the way out. Looking back now there Was a lot going on, but though the whole thing I did not drink and thing got pretty crazy .It is not like one thing was big, but the negative stuff just keep going on and on. I was very unhappy from a long time.
I have starting to feel more grateful about things I have and not what I had in the pass . I feel that my life is going well right at this time that I am right this post to all of you .My faith in god is coming back slowly .My relationship with my wife is also getting better over time .
I am still in talk therapy and will remain for some time to work out some childhood issue .My sobriety was a little rocky ,I keep going to meeting talking to AA member to their ears fell off you know what I mean.

The slogan one at a time means a lot to me
God bless you all
Terry worte

. Exhaustion - Becoming overly tired or in poor health.

2. Dishonesty - Begins with little lies and deceits. Eventually
becoming rationalizations which make excuses for not doing what we
know we must do for our recovery.

3. Impatience - May involve frustration with things not happening fast
enough, or others not doing what expected of them.

4. Frustration - Maybe with people or events.

5. Self Pity - A feeling of not being appreciated or being a victim of
circumstance.

6. Cockiness - A feeling of having made it. Of being able to enter
situations far too risky.

7. Complacency - When program is taken for granted. More relapses
happen when things going well.

8. Expecting too much from others - “I’ve changed, Why not them.”

9. Letting up on discipline - Prayer, meditation, daily inventory,
meeting attendance, and good health.

10. Wanting too much - Setting unrealistic goals. Happiness is not
having what you want but wanting what you have.

11.Forgetting gratitude - Looking negatively on life, Concentrating
on problems instead of progress.

12. It can’t happen to me - Related to denial or minimizing the
problem. Results in carelessness.

13. People, Places and things- Being in their presence.

14. Boredom, relapse is not only drinking again but also just
reverting back to old thinking and living. A dry drunk.

As the BB tells me in the Doctors Opinion on page xxvi:

Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced
by alcohol. The sensation is so elusive that, while they admit it is
injurious, they cannot after a time differentiate the true from the
false. To them, their alcoholic life seems the only normal one. They
are restless, irritable and discontented, unless they can again
experience the sense of ease and comfort which comes at once by taking
a few drinks—drinks which they see others taking with impunity. After
they have succumbed to the desire again, as so many do, and the
phenomenon of craving develops, they pass through the well-known
stages of a spree, emerging remorseful, with a firm resolution not to
drink again. This is repeated over and over, and unless this person
can experience an entire psychic change there is very little hope of
his recovery.

And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation — some fact of my life — unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God’s world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life’s terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.

For me, serenity began when I learned to distinguish between those things that I could change and those I could not. When I admitted that there were people, places, things, and situations over which I was totally powerless, those things began to lose their power over me. I learned that everyone has the right to make their own mistakes, and learn from them, without my interference, judgement, or assistance!
The key to my serenity is acceptance. But “acceptance” does not mean that I have to like it, condone it, or even ignore it. What it does mean is I am powerless to do anything about it… and I have to accept that fact.

Nor does it mean that I have to accept “unacceptable behavoir.” Today I have choices. I no longer have to accept abuse in any form. I can choose to walk away, even if it means stepping out into the unknown. I no longer have to fear “change” or the unknown. I can merely accept it as part of the journey.

I spent years trying to change things in my life over which I was powerless, but did not know it. I threatened, scolded, manipulated, coerced, pleaded, begged, pouted, bribed and generally tried everything I could to make the situation better — only watch as things always got progressively worse.

I spent so much time trying to change the things I could not change, it never once occurred to me to simply accept them as they were.

Now when things in my life are not going the way I planned them, or downright bad things happen, I can remind myself that whatever is going on is not happening by accident. There’s a reason for it and it is not always meant for me to know what that reason is.

That change in attitude has been the key to happiness for me. I know I am not the only who has found that serenity.