Olive B. Poliks, M.S., N.C.C., L.P.C., C.D.A.P.
East Aurora High School
500 Tomcat Lane
Aurora, IL 60505
(630) 299-8153
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom
to know the difference-
For centuries the words of the Serenity Prayer have been a challenge and inspiration to people in crisis. As crisis
intervention personnel, we can apply them to our lives as we deal with stress of all those "things we cannot change."
Successful stress management is more than just survival. As we reframe the notion of stress and view it as a positive
experience, we can better view our lives from a spiritual prospective. The literal meaning of stress is "to draw tight."
Webster defines it as "the strength of metal to withstand extreme weight or pressure ...to fail and break, or to yield and
grow stronger. "We can see an analogy in our bodies: The long bones of the body are stronger after they are broken and
mended. What brings us to a failure point or yield point? From stressed-out to serene?
Stress is actually a feedback loop. It is not "out there," but an internal reaction to external events. That which is stressful to
one person may not be stress for another. Or, that which was once energizing and exciting to one person, may become
draining and stressful to the same person, later.
The ability to apply the Serenity Prayer to our stress-filled lives comes at a high price. We must be willing to give up
"knowing the right answer." We must be open to the wisdom of the universe. We must be able to ask with honesty and
integrity, "What can I learn from this stressful situation? What in ME needs to change?"
Moving from stressed-out to serene is not easy, but it IS possible. It is a journey of self-discovery and self-empowerment. In our journey, we must vigilantly look for signs of hope and grab hold of any small victory as an occasion to celebrate. Most of all, we need to learn to laugh at ourselves. Laughter releases those "feel good" endorphins. Spirituality and humor go hand in hand. When we can truly laugh at ourselves, we will know we've moved from Stressed-Out to Serene.
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