Life’s Greatest Irony
Surrender. Just let it go. Release that which no longer serves you. It sounds so simple, but easier said than done is an understatement. I believe life’s greatest irony is that letting go of pain, fear, and all the stuff we hold onto that holds us back from being our greatest brightest self is possibly the most difficult and ongoing challenge we face in life. The irony is that the act of surrender, the act of letting go and releasing, is actually not an act at all but the end of action, or in many cases giving up control.
Think about the term surrender. To surrender means you give up fighting, it is the end of both active resistance and aggressive offense. How does surrender look? You put down your weapons. The term “let it go” implies you were holding on to something and then you release the tension in your hands, to release whatever was there. The body’s natural state, in a relaxed pose, is to have open hands, arms hanging at your sides, eyes are open, jaw hangs open. Most of the time, though, in the day to day busyness of life we are working, hustling, striving, thinking, plotting, laboring, etc, to the point of stress, worry, sickness, depression. If that’s you, you may have heard people tell you to lighten up. Again, meaning to let your load off. I think there is an underlying fear that if we stop, the worst will happen.
It is this fear that fuels our thinking that we are in control of people, circumstances, our environment, or whatever it is we attempt to manipulate in order to experience our desired result. So surrender in daily life is not about war and weapons, it is about control. With popular new age teachers telling us that we are the creators of our own destiny, we may be under more pressure than ever to control and “manifest” our reality. The notion implies that if we don’t do what new age gurus are telling us we should be doing, then we are the direct cause of our failure to succeed or have the things we want in life.
When we think about surrender we may also imagine the idea that we are giving up, or giving power over to another bigger, stronger force we face. At first this might feel negative, wrong or scary. But what if there is a force greater than you, but that is actually your best friend, your cheerleader, your guide through the darkness? Would it be so bad then to hand over the reins, even if just for a while, especially when you’re not sure where you are headed? What if, even if you are not sure about this notion, experiment with the idea? What if you just pretended it was true? It could be an interesting journey to learn from at least. Personally, I see the practice of surrender as humility being intertwined with faith and a constant remembering of who is actually in control of the greater narrative (not me!).
Try to take the time to ponder and realize who you truly are, what you are acting for, and who/what you are surrendering to. At first it will actually take some effort to make the time and space to get to know what exactly surrender feels like. If you meditate then you have an idea, but if you don’t yet, then it will be worth your while. Prayer and meditation are ways of putting surrender into practice.
Take a time-out from distractions and responsibilities, even hobbies, anything that requires your effort. Sit or lay down, whatever supports you most comfortably. Close your eyes and breathe deep at first; notice how your breathing allows your muscles and tensions to relax. Listen and observe without judgement to the sounds near and far, what your body feels like as it breathes naturally without any effort on your part. Choose a positive affirmation to remind yourself that you have come so far in spite of whatever challenges you have faced. Remember that no amount of worry has ever solved or prevented any challenge. So breathe in and breathe all the worry out. The challenges life brings us make us strong and resilient, we can learn and grow into better humans from every experience. Imagine that powerful and loving force dwelling within your heart as your friend and guide. Tell them how you are feeling, what you may worry about, what your hopes and dreams are. Imagine the feeling of relief, knowing that they actually know you better than you think, they know what is always in your best and highest interest and that they are actively trying to guide you to where you need to be. And when you realize this, then you might just remember that even the most challenging circumstances are also ultimately for your best interest.
A regular time-out to practice surrender evolves its way into your consciousness, positively affecting your behaviors, emotions, and reactions. Hopefully you can experience the subtle joy found from practicing the art of surrender in your day to day routines. Then from there the art of CO-creation as free will beings may take on new meaning in your life. Let me know in the comments!
