Friday, September 10, 2010

Serenity??

Serenity. Tranquility. Peacefullness. Even-temperedness. Cool-headedness.

Yesterday I was told I needed the Serenity prayer. I'm going to a counselor and yesterday was all about me and anger. I have been so angry lately. So easily overwhelmed.

Tim made a good point: If you have a scale of 1 to 10 on the stress in your life, most everyone wakes up with a zero. They don't wake up wondering if today they will be able to function. If they will be able to fold that basket of laundry or be able to take care of their child.

So when I get up, I'm already at a 6 or 7, just being me. Isn't that lovely. (Some of you who know me are going Mmmmmm-hhhmmm! I KNEW that girl caused stress!) Just kidding. But really, what he said made so much sense. If I seem to be jumping down people's throats at the drop of the hat, it's because the dropping of the hat was the proverbial straw that broke the camels back. That one last drop you think you can squeeze into the glass before it spills over.

But that drop...that one tiny drop that in and of itself is nothing! It's No. Big. Deal. Insignificant. Unless you are already so full of drops that one more just puts you over the edge. I am not an angry person by nature (well, not anymore!) I'm fun. I used to be fun, anyway. I like people. I want to be part of society. I want to in the mix, part of the group, ya know?

But many times I can't. And those are big drops added to my glass. So when the power lines are making lightning in my tree, and I'm setting up for a garage sale and my dog pees on something for sale....when Jacob is being particularly difficult and my TV freezes for the 13th time and my computer isn't working.....I overflow.

I need to focus on what I CAN do...and accept what I can't. And try to change what I can. ERGO, Serenity Prayer: (or the first part of it anyway)

God grant me the Serenity to
Accept the Things I cannot change, the
Courage to change the Things I can, and the
Wisdome to know the Difference.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not quite the same, but I get super antsy when things aren't planned (by me...haha) or I don't know all the details of how something will work. I totally snap at those times too :)

Margaret said...

I totally get what you are saying and I have days like that as well. It has to get better right?????

Margaret said...

I tagged you for something on my blog!

Love Changes Everything by Micah Berteau - A Book Review

If you're not familiar with the story of Hosea and Gomer in the Bible, it's really quite shocking.  Here's my brief synopsis...