The Elegant Simplicity of the Serenity Prayer

The Human Condition30 Dec, 2022Health

The Serenity Prayer, above, was written in the early 1930s by American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and popularized in the 1940s by the mutual-aid group Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Its focus on themes of acceptance and personal responsibility has made it a central spiritual resource within the global 12-step substance-recovery movement championed by AA, and thousands of people speak it each day around the world. Although anchored in ancient wisdom, this prayer also aligns with modern mindfulness movements and shares related goals, such as cultivating serenity and release.