Many people have discovered the Serenity Pray. I appreciate this prayer, because the various meanings held within. One line reads: 

“give us the serenity to accept what cannot be changed.” 

What we cannot change. We find strength in this part. Change stipulates we have personal power to manage what needs changed. Without the needed power, we cannot alter change. Outside influence, or anything that does not originate within us we have little power over.

People are outside of us, and though sometimes we prefer control over them and their actions towards us, others or the world we live, we do note have it. They establish their own decisions, much like how we produce ours.

We can exercise discipline over this area in our lives. Then, our transformation can flow out and shape what is around us. 

Dwelling inside of you is power, because you change your thoughts. You feel your emotions. You answer with words and reactions. You can change anything by adjusting your reaction to it. 

Though, like the Serenity Prayer, we should accept what we cannot change, we can adopt change within ourselves and regulate how we acknowledge the unchangeable.

Through control over yourself and a right response to provocative or tempting situations, the unchangeable may experience a beneficial change.

Change outside appears from change inside. The transformation within you and the self-mastery over your thoughts, words and actions is the passport to gain influence over your environment.

Decisions, beneficial or not, is what determines your response towards outside stimuli and how that affects you.

We have often understood “Be the change we wish to see in the world.” Though attributed to Gandhi, no evidence supports this. 

The principle remains sound because our internal world affects change to the outside world.

Be that change by maintaining control over your internal world.