Brian RumaoFebruary 2, 2026
Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.
Eckhart Tolle
Over the weekend with my kids, I recited aloud the serenity prayer: God, grant me serenity to accept things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
It was partly a reminder for myself, but more so for my daughter who has a beautiful tendency to contemplate all the things that might happen in the future — the majority of which are beyond her control. This week’s worry was when she might lose her first tooth (which I suppose could be under her control) — I encouraged her to just let nature run its course, and when it’s time, it’s time.
Whether you’re religious or not, the serenity prayer applies to us all. I think back to many of my moments of suffering, and how I was grasping for or holding onto something that was no longer mine. Or how I was living in the future, awaiting an admission to school or the result of a job interview. Learning how to let things be, and just be, is one of my perennial assignments in life. I feel more capable than ever in my 38 years that I have the wisdom to know the difference. I have the courage to change what I can. And I’m learning, slowly but surely, that serenity isn’t something we chase. It’s what surrounds us, when we’re ready to stop and be here now.