My prayer

O God, give us serenity to accept what cannot be changed.
Courage to change what should be changed, and Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

The above prayer was a consequence of a verse I read in the Gita and the many day to day observations that I see and feel. For some reason change and its constancy has put many of us in a state of discomfort.

Sometimes, insecurities come to the fore and comparisons and competitiveness seem to block the effective acceptance of change, and connecting that change to productivity becomes a challenge. Oftentimes, its noticed that whenever there is a change there is a silght dip in the process as people have to become accustomed to change. In the end, one accepts it as there is no other go!

I recall a dialogue in Sarkar Raj where Mr. Bacchan replies to his wife when she refers to the world changing that - 'If I change alongwith the times, how do I know that the world is changing'. There is a certain element of duality and contradiction in this statement as he admits that he should be a part of it but first wants to view its impact to become a part of it..typically, most of us due to our primeval need to survive, react in the same manner. Only once it impacts us do we want to become a part of a change :) Again, this is a pattern where we focus only on the short term needs of present state of exisitence.

Whether there is a change or not, shouldnt we all allow a natural flow of improvement to happen around us. If one were to reach a state of being impervious, inspiration could be drawn from the following verse:


There has never been a time when you and I have not existed,

Nor will there be a time when we will cease to exist.

As the same person inhabits the body through childhood, youth, and old age,

So too at the time of death he attains another body.

The wise are not deluded by these changes.

- Sri Krishna