About 6 weeks ago, I started the Serenity Prayer Experiment. Since then I have found the following:

1. There is nothing to change.
2. I can change everything.
3. I cannot change anything.

There is nothing to change

As you may recall, the first step in the Serenity Prayer Experiment is to determine what you can and cannot change. At first this was a mental exercise. I looked around my life and figured out what I had control over and decided to start changing that first. As I meditated, I realized that in every moment there is perfection. I experience deeper and deeper understandings of this Truth. When I start to plan for the future, which is a natural exercise, I begin to see the pitfalls and dangers. That’s when I feel like I should change things. It’s when I worry. However, when I’m in the moment, everything is fine. Nothing at all to change then. I can string a few moments like these together and there is no worry at all. Then, it’s as if my mind feels neglected. I start to think about the future again.

I can change everything

The next step in the Serenity Prayer Experiment is to change what you can. One of my beliefs was that I could change anything in my life if I wanted, but I had no control over other people’s life. That all changed when I read the story of the Hawaiian doctor. I started to wonder about my ability to affect the lives of others. While it is true that it is very difficult to manipulate human behaviour, it’s very easy to influence it. Actually, it’s not even influencing a person. It’s influencing consciousness.

Imagine dropping a pebble into a pool of water. You can see the ripples floating out. If there is a leaf on the water, the leaf moves as a result of your pebble. Now, think of the pebble as one of your thoughts. As you drop your thoughts into consciousness the effect ripples out. Anything (which is everything) that abides in consciousness is affected.

I cannot change anything

Thirdly, I am beginning to understand what Jesus meant when he said, “…the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” (John 14:10, The Bible) I am becoming a conduit for God. My life lens are becoming clearer and clearer and some of them are being removed altogether. As I practice the experiment, it’s not that more items are falling into one category or another, it’s more like there are no items at all. They are becoming non-issues. The three ideas are meshing into one experience. As I become more and more aware of the presence of God, I realize that all is good. As I become more aligned with that presence, I realize that “I” can influence my experience. Further, as I get myself out of the way, I realize that God is doing all the work and seemingly insurmountable problems have effortless solutions.

In Spirit,
Nneka