Everybody needs to learn the art of surrender. Here’s why.
Surrender vs. giving up
Surrender is a state of passive being. In this state we choose to watch life unfold as an observer.
Giving up, on the other hand, is a state of being actively resistant to the flow that is life.
There is definitely a fine line between giving up and surrendering. While giving up is considered somewhat-negative, surrender has a more positive quality to it.
In certain situations, we have no option but to give up or surrender. For example, if a relationship with your friend is just not working out – you could decide to give up on it and let it go. At that point if you feel peace, you are effectively surrendering. But if you feel anything but love and peace (shame, anger, frustration) – its a tell that you are giving up.
I speak more about the difference between surrender and giving up in this video.
side-effects of resistance to surrender
Suffering happens when we resist life the way it is. And when we aren’t able to surrender our attachments to the way things “need to be”, we might experience emotional and sometimes physical pain. And that is why, to live a healthy and radiant life, we need to learn the art of surrender.
Interconnectedness between surrender and spirituality
Surrender and spirituality are viscerally interconnected. Without one, the other is impossible. Spirituality is simply a means to living a radiant life. When I talk about spirituality, I don’t mean religion or the spirituality associated with gurus. Spirituality, for me, represents my connection with my own higher self also known as my spirit.
Without knowing how to surrender my ego self, I would not be able to effectively connect with my higher self. And that is why it is imperative to practicing the art of surrender in daily living.
how to practice the art of surrender daily
Allowing situations to unfold and allowing my path to be revealed to me are all facets of the art of surrender. Even though I want to ascend in my spiritual path, holding onto expectations of when that might happen will only create resistance in my present life. So I have learnt to not attach expectations to outcomes of my actions. All this, with tons of daily practice.
In my daily life, I encounter situations that force me to think about my choice to take action vs. my choice to practice non-attachment. For example, I had been working on a particular relationship in my life for years. Unfortunately I was not able to ever feel secure in that relationship and it was taking a toll on my mind-set and health. I realized that, alone, I would not be able to save that relationship. Perhaps, it was time to let go of any expectations from that bond. That choice was made consciously and after careful consideration. Choosing to surrender the fate of a relationship empowered me to create other positive changes in my life.
Surrendering in any given situation can create a lasting positive impact on your well-being. So next time you are about to react to a situation based on low level emotions, take a step back. And think about the impact of your “reaction” vs. a possible response.
If you first heal the underlying wound, you will definitely be in a better position to make an informed decision to surrender.
SURRENDER to create flow in your life
Even though I work on growing spiritually every day, I often encounter resistance from the discomfort of change. There is a part of me that is not okay with change. That, in fact, is my ego self. My ego self wants safety and comfort over everything else.
I have learnt that developing a strong and deeply rooted relationship with my ego self is imperative to creating a growth mind-set.
As I release my old identity, my ego-self brings up all sorts of resistance to change. And that hinders the flow that I want to experience in my life. This is where the art of surrender becomes vital to spiritual advancement. Learning to surrender to the feelings that come up will help you be present and release the old memories and wounds fully.
When I surrender to whatever is coming up for me, my ego self relaxes a little and allows my body and mind to process the unhealed emotions. This creates positive momentum in my daily life and I am able to access greater possibilities with my life is flowing seamlessly.
Creating a dialogue between your spirit self and ego self will create harmony and flow in your life.
To read more about how you can find presence in your life, feel free to read this post.
Work with me
If you are dealing with tough situations in your life and feel frustrated with being stuck, feel free to connect with me for a 1-1 private coaching session. Coaching will help you understand what is going on from a neutral perspective.
You can connect with me by sending me a message here or by subscribing to my YouTube channel.
