The Wisdom to Know the Difference: When to Make a Change-and When to Let Go

by Eileen Flanagan

Overview

"The Wisdom to Know the Difference is about being able to change. . . . What is important is that we can make a change and transform ourselves into better, happier people." (His Holiness the Dalai Lama)

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can change; and wisdom to know the difference.

Millions of people have been moved by these famous last lines from the Serenity Prayer to make important and lasting changes in their lives. But how exactly can we know the difference? How can we acknowledge the real limits that we face without negating the possibility for dramatic change? In this wise book, Eileen Flanagan guides readers in determining what they can-or perhaps should- change in their lives, accepting what they cannot, and discovering the "wisdom to know the difference."

Drawing on her own Quaker faith as well as a range of other religious and spiritual traditions, Flanagan shows readers how such practices as sifting through culturally preconceived notions and listening to our own inner voice can help us determine when a change is needed in our lives or when instead acceptance is the answer.

This illuminating book takes the reader by the hand to discover the serenity that comes when one has gained the wisdom to know the difference.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781585428298
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/02/2010
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.15(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Eileen Flanagan, a writer and public speaker, is the author of the Silver Nautilus Book Award–winning books, Renewable: One Woman’s Search for Simplicity, Faithfulness, and Hope and The Wisdom to Know the Difference: When to Make a Change—and When to Let Go, which was endorsed by the Dalai Lama. She lives in Philadelphia, where she works as a leader of the Earth Quaker Action Team.

What People are Saying About This

Dalai Lama

"The Wisdom to Know the Difference is about being able to change. We human beings are basically the same, wherever we come from, and despite the small physical differences in the shape of our noses, the color of our hair and so on. We are the same because we all have the same potential to undergo both positive and negative experiences. What's more, we also have the same potential to transform ourselves and our attitudes. What is important is that we can make a change and transform ourselves into better, happier people."--(His Holiness the Dalai Lama)

Brent Bill

"Eileen Flanagan's delightful book is a source of wisdom and encouragement to which you'll return again and again. Blessing and inspiration await on every page."--(Brent Bill, Quaker minister and author Sacred Compass: The Way of Spiritual Discernment)

Diana Winston

"We've all heard these famous lines 'grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, and the courage to change the things I can' but we rarely hear how to find the wisdom to know and act on the difference. Until now. This beautiful book weaves together fascinating stories and timeless wisdom from across spiritual traditions to create a practical map for all of us to navigate this very question."--(Diana Winston, Director of Mindfulness Education, UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center, and author of Wide Awake: A Buddhist Guide for Teens)

Karen Casey

"In The Wisdom to Know the Difference Eileen Flanagan effortlessly weaves the wisdom of the ordinary people she has met on her path with the extraordinary wisdom of many spiritual teachers into a rich tapestry. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking spiritual wisdom."--(Karen Casey, Ph.D. author of Each Day A New Beginning)

Phyllis Tickle

"Full of wisdom and everyday stories that become parables in Flanagan's hands.'"--(Phyllis Tickle, author of The Divine Hours and The Great Emergence)