Day 1 of 21 Days of Prayer Outside the Box

The idea for the 21 Days of Prayer Outside the Box came to me in a recent meditation.  Prayer is an important part of my spiritual journey even though there was a time that I really struggled with the whole concept. As a coach with a body, mind, spirit approach, I am sensitive to individual philosophies, beliefs and approaches and want to respect each one.  The thought is to share 21 prayers that are diverse in origin and create a space where those who choose to can join together as "two or more gathered" each day (on our own and in our own time) even though we are not physically together.

The First Prayer

As I was looking for prayers to include in the 21 Days of Prayer Outside the Box I did a little googling and decided to start with The Serenity Prayer.  This seems a little funny since it is really pretty "inside the box" (made popular by 12 step groups, one site calls it the most popular prayer in the world), but sometimes the best way out of the box is to start somewhere familiar.  Just stick your big toe out before you jump out with both feet.

So, if this prayer is new to you, I am grateful to have the opportunity to be the one to introduce you.  If it is one you already know I invite you to approach it as though you are experiencing it for the first time. Take it a little slower.  Stop with each word and really soak it up. This is a powerful prayer with a powerful message.  I know how easy it is to get going with these prayers without really being present to the prayer.  I invite you to become very present with this prayer at least once today and just be the observer from there.

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.

Note:

If you are interested, there is more to this prayer.  You can Google the full version.

Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

FDR's statement, "There is nothing to fear but fear itself," is true in every aspect of our lives. If in fact all we have to fear is the fear itself and not how to pay the bills, get the job, deal with the health issue or __(fill in the blank)__then what do we do about fear?

You are probably aware of and possibly using some strategies to deal with fear already. Some of these strategies may be constructive - some not so constructive.

Among the not so constructive stratagies we find things like over eating, over spending, over drinking and even over exercising just to name a few. Noticing these behaviors signals a need for constructive strategies.

Many of the constructive strategies start with daily disciplines in each of three catagories, body, mind and spirit - balanced exercise, reading positive material, or meditation.

What are some of the strategies you use? What are some that work for you? What are some that don't work for you? What are new strategies you might consider incorporating?