Kicked In The Gut

I woke up and felt like I’d been kicked in the gut.

My sleepy reverie JOLTED to attention by images of looting, racism and protest, close by and everywhere all at once. I’d barely crawled out of my covid-19 cocoon and now THIS. It was all I could take. I closed my eyes tightly wishing it would all just wash away…

Then something else hit me almost as hard and just in time…

The Serenity Prayer.

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“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change

the courage to change the things I can

 and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Immediately I felt lighter. My shoulders softened. My heart began to rise again.

First I started accepting the things I cannot change…

--How long the pandemic lasts…

--The divisiveness that harms our nation…

--The free will of my life-coaching clients…

Then I summed up the courage to change the things I can…

--My thoughts…

--My attitude…

--How I react to situations…

And finally, I sought the wisdom to know the difference. 

We can become proactive rather than reactive by being an example of kindness, compassion, service and love. It begins in our homes, ripples out into our communities and spreads across our country and around our world.

Then I opened my eyes. That pain that shocked me awake had vanished. The turmoil and troubles gone. The world was and is still turning. And here we are, each of us, revolving right around with it. We can get into action and make a conscious choice to feel hopeful rather than hopeless. All we need is a little wisdom to focus on the wellness of our country and our lives rather than the illness.

Let’s accept what we must, change what we can and stay focused on doing the right things. After all, what we focus on grows stronger.

May God help you grow stronger every day and moment of your life. -- Susan