THE ART OF SURRENDER — A Return To Our Creative Power

The concept of surrender is commonly seen as the practice of letting go of concepts, ideas or preferences that we tend to attach to our sense of self, and giving in to something that is considered to be greater than ourselves, a higher intelligence, God, the universe, nature etc. In a practical sense, the act of surrender really comes down to making a deliberate decision to willingly give up any expectation we hold on how the way reality ought to be, and simply acquiesce to the natural unfolding (flow) of the life process.

If this does not sound like the best idea in the world, I totally understand! The idea of surrendering very much sounds like a desperate resolve that one decides to lean towards in times of crisis. Though it may seem like an act of defeat, I would nonetheless argue that there is a wisdom hidden underneath this concept that, once realised, can bring amazing experiences and possibilities in our lives.

So, let's talk about it!

Letting go of the burden of control

Surrender is an art, a way of life that many of us misunderstand and find quite hard to put into practice because its very essence revolves around the idea of letting go of our perceived sense of control, only to put our trust in something we don’t quite know, better yet understand. And so, it is no surprise that this sort of reasoning tends to quickly be rejected by our logical brain.

Besides the fear of the unknown, the reason many of us struggle with the idea of letting go is that we've been conditioned to believe that our actions alone put us in control of our destiny. We think that the only way to achieve a desired result or outcome is through constant grinding and willpower. After all, actions produce results right? And so, a lack of action has automatically become synonymous of a red flag to the mind, a signal indicating that we are falling behind (or at the very least stalling) in the realisation of our desires. With that sort of mindset, the idea of letting go of control often feels like a restraint on our impulse to act as a means to secure a desired outcome, and this is exactly where our issue lies. As much as we might like the idea of letting go, there is only so much that we are willing to surrender when it really comes to it!

In our efforts to surrender the need for control, we find ourselves thinking — how can I possibly surrender and still achieve what I set out to achieve? How can I stop the hustle and still get to where I would like to be?

The answer is...

Look to the intelligence within — 'Do less and Become more'

Surrender is a simple but delicate art that finds its strength in our ability to do two key things — let go and trust…letting go of our personal impulses to act as a means to feel in control, and trusting our ability to 'become' one with the very object of our desires. However, this process of merging with our desires only becomes a possibility as we surrender to the intelligence of our 'inner-being', that is our essence — the constant awareness of the present moment that dwells within each of us.

The more we tune in to our inner-being and let it merge with our desires and aspirations, the more our actions become directly inspired by that higher intelligence from within, which causes us to intuitively (effortlessly) know how to do the right thing and at the right time. By heeding the subtle nudges of our inner-being, we are empowered with a special ability to know how to get to where we'd like to be, not by acting incessantly or impulsively, but only acting when it is time to act and only doing what is appropriate and necessary at the time. As we do so habitually, we therefore master what ancient Greeks formerly referred to as Kairos timing.

"Be the outcome you are looking for"

By connecting with the intelligence of your inner-being, you are essentially given the intuitive guidance needed to transform your life energy and become the very outcome you’re looking for within yourself. As this transformation takes place, you will notice how every action you are inspired to take have become a mere by-product of your natural expression — your 'state of being'.

The more adept you become at looking within and listening to the guidance of this higher intelligence, you will naturally find yourself accomplishing a lot more by doing a lot less. You will notice how you tend to get significant results out of every little action you take simply because your actions have aligned to become a pure expression of your 'becoming' — a sort of second nature, rather than a result of your personal impulse or egoistic desire to influence an outcome.

You realise at this point that the work is never to chase after a desired outcome, but only to become one with it in your very being. This simply means that you must find a way to consistently live out the truth (the essence) of that which you desire in the 'now' present moment — the present moment being the seat of your inner-being.

A return to our creative power

Contrary to popular beliefs, surrendering is not a display of weakness or an acknowledgement of our limitations, it is rather a demonstration of strength and confidence in our power as creators. Practising surrender isn't about giving up on our goals, desires and aspirations, but rather accomplishing them by resting in our creative power instead of relying on force.

Instead of obsessively clinging on to our goals, desires and aspirations, and fighting through life to make them happen, authentic surrender asks us to turn inward and give in to the spirit of nature that dwells within each of us, so that we may be guided to the realisation of these goals and desires in a more natural way and through a more natural path — one that is in direct alignment with the natural flow and unfolding of all things in the universe.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION: The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer