Surrendering as an Active Choice
Surrendering is often equated to living passively; we let life do what it does and simply observe and stay present. This is true to a point – when life is moving smoothly without hiccups and challenges. But when we encounter curve balls, surrendering is far from passive – it is one of the most active choices we make and it is a choice we must continue to make again and again. Living a life of surrender is a constant action of letting go of our expectations, attachments, emotional patterns, and mental conditioning.
The Challenge of Surrendering in the Face of Adversity
As an example, some years ago I was going into business with a friend and fellow healing practitioner. We had spent nearly 9 months searching until we found just the right space to lease for our wellness center. We were due to sign the lease the next morning when my friend decided that going into business in this way was not the right path for her to take. Wow. All this work leading up to this moment and then it all ended abruptly, dissolving into smoke. That is the moment of surrender. Letting source field, universal life force, redirect the passion, intention, and vision I carried into where it could be nurtured and made manifest. This act of surrender required trust in a bigger picture than my small “s” self could perceive. My big “S” Self knew that my life was being directed and supported by unseen energies of love, power and compassion.
So every time something I am doing begins to dissolve into smoke or I feel like I am swimming upstream, I recognize that moment as a time to surrender, releasing all control and letting life take me where it will. It is an active choice because the moments of biggest surrender are those when life feels like its falling apart. And the hardest, but most crucial, thing to do in those moments is to not let fear run my behavior. Recognizing that this fear comes in the form of emotions associated with abandonment, rejection, shame or guilt, helps bring perspective because these fears are universal and shared with many. Witnessing, honoring and processing these emotions requires commitment but leads to a great sense of freedom and peace.
Embracing Surrender: Opening Doors to Unexpected Fulfillment
As fate would have it, not long after my act of surrender, I met with Brenda Teal, founder of The Teal Center. Soon after, I began to take over management of the center which allowed her the freedom to retire. Directing the center through many changes, including the pandemic, has brought me great joy and fulfillment. Often the universe provides what we desire in even more ideal ways than we could have planned for ourselves. By embracing surrender, we open ourselves up to new possibilities, personal growth, and the realization of our true purpose. We surrender and then we take action; we surrender and we take action. We do this again and again and when we look back on what we’ve done we can see that it was good, it was fulfilling and it was in fact our purpose after all.
