I love the act of surrender. When we’re holding on tight to something with so much effort, it means we can thankfully let go.
When we feel like we’re carrying the world on our shoulders, we can give it back, drop the weight, and trust that things will be okay.
The Ease of Surrender
I surrender a lot. When life presents me with a situation that I just can’t figure out, I stop trying. Instead of endlessly rolling it around in my mind, I wait, listening intently, fully receptive to the answers that might appear.
When there are too many things to do, I stop trying to do them and let myself be guided.
And when things just don’t feel right, I know I’ve taken a turn off my true path. And that’s the perfect time to stop, let go, and surrender.
From where I sit, surrendering makes life so much easier. You don’t need to stay stuck in the fog of confusion. You don’t need to know all the answers. The pressure’s off, so you can truly relax.
“Going with the flow” takes on a whole new meaning.
How Surrender Works
I recently found myself urgently trying to make a decision, and the way forward just wasn’t clear. I tested out a couple of different options, but each time I felt an inner “No.” I had no enthusiasm and felt forced to do something I didn’t really want to do.
There were red flags everywhere that I was looking in the wrong direction. So I decided to surrender.
Instead of choosing with my mind about what I thought should happen, I went to my heart. I asked:
What would I enjoy?
What am I enthusiastic about?
Where does my creativity want to express itself?
What would be fun to do?
And as soon as I started asking these questions, the answers flooded in. To my surprise, I realized I wasn’t confused or stuck. I just hadn’t created the space for these answers to emerge.
Here’s the lesson that came as clear as day. The mind creates struggle, and the heart knows. I can spin around in my mind with its desires, expectations, and judgments, or I can let all of that mental activity merrily float off into the ethers.
I can suffer and contract into an agitated little ball, or I am here, happy, clear, and free, with a smile on my face. 🙂
Your Turn to Surrender
Are you interested in surrendering? Here’s what to do.
Get to know that cranky, needy personal voice with its endless desires, requirements, and opinions. Recognize it, then let it go. Don’t give it your attention.
If it feels right, ask questions appropriate to your situation. How is your heart wanting to speak?
Now here’s the juicy part. Simply listen. Find that place of supreme openness beyond the thinking mind where you don’t need to know, and be available to what that openness has to tell you. Let yourself be visited by the grand intelligence that lies behind everything. And trust it no matter what your fears tell you.
Surrender your mind to your loving heart. It’s simple and courageous and the only sane thing to do.