Need vs. Want

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

It's taken me a long time to distinguish what I want from what I actually need. Despite this newly acquired insight, choosing the latter is still often challenging.  I find it more common than not that what I want isn't always healthy or in my best interest.  To further complicate the issue, I find myself in a situation in which I must walk away-not because I want to but because I need to.  Just a few short months ago this would have been an extremely difficult if not impossible decision for me to make.  To put it bluntly, in the past I often made decisions based on self regardless of the adverse consequences.  Today I have found that I have the strength and the courage to choose that which is healthiest for me (even when my heart is pleading for me not to do so).  Through a recent experience I have discovered a level of love and respect for myself which was previously lacking or nonexistent altogether.  Additionally, I realized only recently how much personal growth I have made during the last few months (note: this did not come easily nor without the help and guidance of others).  My former self would have been unable to hold tight to the standards by which I strive to live by today.  Today I am beyond grateful that my higher power has given me the courage to stand up for myself-whether this be challenging the manner in which I perceive another is treating me or to remove myself from a situation that is emotionally unhealthy.  Furthermore I am grateful to my higher power for granting me the wisdom to see things as they are--to understand that I lack the power to change a situation or set of circumstances.  I thank God for the gift of acceptance-particularly the ability to accept that I cannot change the way things happen nor change how other people feel (no matter how badly I wish I could).  I have learned to respect and love myself even when it means walking away from a situation will only break my heart (and broken my heart it has).  I am grateful that God has shown me that I am worthy of love and respect from others-that I am indeed worthy of being treated kindly and with tenderness and love.  I am extremely grateful that through God's grace I can see the gifts and lessons to be learned in even the most painful of situations.  Through God I am realizing I am enough--I just needed a little help believing it.