Elliot’s Serenity Prayer Tattoo
Elliot’s Serenity Prayer Tattoo Story
I got this tattoo in Casa Grande, Arizona. It is a tattoo of a prayer called “The Serenity Prayer.” The prayer reads as follows.. 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 between the two. The name of the Shop is called Aces and Eights.
The motivation for me to get this tattoo was that i have had a problem with
drug addiction since i was about 16 yrs old. I pretty much was using cocaine about 4-5 times a week thru all 4 years of college. I managed to graduate from college (took me an extra year, so i graduated in 5 years)and all while being on a full athletic scholarship. My senior year with about 2 weeks left before winter break i got busted by campus security(luckily not police) and i od’ed and got kicked off campus and almost lost everything but i managed to work out a deal where if i could complete 60 days in a treatment center and then pass random drug tests and do outpatient 3 hours a week for rest of my senior year i would be able to stay in school and continue to play on the athletic team i was on.
Every day in treatment at least 3-4 times a day we had to recite that prayer and it just started to stick with me. I got the tattoo a week after i graduated and have been drug free since the day i got it. The tattoo stands for my sobriety and the commitment i have to myself and everyone that cares about me to stay that way.
- Elliot
August 12th, 2009 at 9:40 am
That’s a beautiful tattoo and a very inspirational story. Congratulations on getting clean and staying that way. Best of luck in all that you do and may your story give others hope in hard times.
-L
September 6th, 2009 at 12:12 am
This is absolutely gorgeous. I am also getting the serenity prayer in about a month, unsure of the placement though. My tattoo is also going to represent my sobriety and overcoming my addiction to drugs.
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:43 am
Love it. I was addicted to alcohol and went to rehab to stop. We said that prayer like freakin 20 times a day. I’m actually thinking about getting a tattoo of that prayer on my side. I love it.
December 10th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
i love this prayer it also has inspired me…and hearin your story is even more of an inspiration….im very proud of you elliot
keep it up:)
December 16th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Wow that was great to share Elliot. I have an alcoholic and cocaine addict husband. I say this prayer about 100 times a day. I want to get it tattoed but can’t decide how or where. I don’t want it to big, but I want it. Thanx for sharing your sotry. Congrats on your sobriety. Keep your head up.
January 11th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
congrats on being drug free and staying that way
i obviously don’t know you but im very proud of you i love the serenity prayer! your tattoo is beautiful
keep it up!
May 12th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
that is the same prayer we say at the beginning and end of each meeting. i don’t know if you are making meetings, but the prayer is quite powerful.
July 5th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Well done mate lovely tattoo, i have the serenity prayer on my forearm in chinese, i also suffer addictions, ive been 21 months clean and sobar, Good Luck to you Elliot xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
March 1st, 2012 at 10:09 pm
awesome story and amazing tattoo..
March 9th, 2012 at 8:24 am
may i ask though in your rehab did you guys say between the two ?? ive been in three rehabs and go to NA meetings every day so ive repeated it millions and i have seen the tattoo every where but i have never heard/seen and the wisdom to know the difference “between the two” just wondering but good for you on staying clean and i love the placement its pretty awesome never seen it like that before