I’m sure you’ve come across the Serenity Prayer at some point.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Now, I never thought of it as anything to do with money… until recently.
Meet Arjun
Arjun is just like any of us. Works hard, takes care of his family, scrolls too much on his phone, and worries (a lot) about money. He’d lose sleep over the stock market dipping a few percent. He’d hear a friend brag about doubling their wealth in property and feel like he was falling behind.
Basically, money was this constant source of anxiety.
And then one day, while reading, he stumbled on the Serenity Prayer. Something clicked.
What if, he thought, this isn’t just about life — it applies to money too?
Serenity: Accepting What You Can’t Control
There are plenty of things in money that we simply can’t control.
Markets will go up and down.
Governments will keep changing tax rules.
The world will throw curveballs — pandemics, wars, recessions.
Arjun realised that losing energy over these was pointless. He couldn’t stop markets from dipping. Serenity, for him, was learning to accept the ride instead of trying to grab the steering wheel every time the rollercoaster dropped.
Courage: Changing What You Can
But serenity didn’t mean just sitting back. There are things Arjun could absolutely change:
How much he saved each month.
How he invested (he stopped chasing “hot tips” and stuck to ETFs and super).
How he spent his money (swapping impulse buys for intentional spending).
Courage looked boring — like saying no to a shiny new car or automating his investments every month. But boring worked.
Wisdom: Knowing the Difference
This was the hardest part. Where does “acceptance” stop and “courage” begin?
At first, Arjun kept tweaking his portfolio, second-guessing every small dip. But wisdom slowly taught him:
Chasing the next big thing = FOMO, not strategy.
Comparing returns with friends = meaningless (different goals, different timelines).
Real wealth isn’t about beating the market — it’s about peace of mind and freedom.
That last one hit home.
Arjun still faces uncertainty (who doesn’t?), but now he’s calmer. He doesn’t panic when markets wobble. He doesn’t feel restless when others brag about big wins.
Instead, he keeps reminding himself:
Serenity to accept what’s out of his hands.
Courage to work on the things he can.
Wisdom to know the difference.
And honestly, that’s something we could all use in our financial lives.