Surrender, as a word, is perhaps one that doesn’t get used as much as it ought to be. In different contexts, it draws a line between pride and humility, self-awareness or self-indulgence, and maybe even ‘losing’ or ‘winning’.
Specifically, i’ll probably revert to its purpose in reinforcing the line between control versus flow.
If we think deeper about what surrender might be like, most of us might be dumbfounded by the sheer ‘passivity’ of it. However, there’s nothing remotely passive about consciously choosing to be guided by a flow of events that you have some say in partaking in.
It takes a lot to be in a state of surrender. I never thought about how much it takes, at least not until i started reading ‘The Surrender Experiment’ by Michael A. Singer. He discusses spiritual journey as he delved deeper into discovering the meaning of life in more esoteric ways, particularly in the 1970s. Chancing upon this book a few weeks back, and finally diving in to read it at this point in time, feels right in so many ways!
As much I’ve been enjoying the read thus far, and what it has stirred up in me with regards to resonance or dissonance, I recognise that it is still one tiny stone in a sea of possible ways to be living and experiencing mortality.
To a certain extent, I’d been leaning more into a state of surrender without consciously being aware of it being that. As much as I am hesitant to acknowledge that surrender is achievable for everyone, but there are going to be varying degrees to which we are ready to (and are able to) undertake in different phases of existence. This readiness and willingness will also be accompanied by circumstances and privileges that could impede or enable one’s undertaking of such an endeavour.
Surrender also requires a certain kind of ‘optimism’ that can be challenging to scrounge up. It involves so much rewiring of mental frameworks. The rat’s race has conditioned us to work ourselves to the bone with nary a chance to turn inwards to explore the possibility of otherwise. That’s yet another circumstance that has laid the semi-solid foundation on which surrender could potentially thrive building more sustainable existences upon.
While surrender may seem tiny or impossible in the scheme of reality’s turbulence, I’d like to think that it is but one plausible way of approaching life with more intention (for me, at least).
At least for me, perhaps a rendition of surrender would be beneifical to letting my heart and soul ease up a little amidst all the mental chaos (self-imposed or not). I don’t know about you, but it’ll be interesting to see how incorporating some version of surrender could impact your perception of every minute detail of your existence (if that’s your thing, oop).
TLDR: Perhaps, you could consider give your friendly neighbour of surrender a shot at showing you a different way of living, or reject their kind offer and move on to living your life in any other way of your choice. At the end of the day, it’s a buffet of choices we’ve got.
