The Art of Surrender

There is something to be said about those who follow their heart’s true desires – people who can see their goal in bright, shiny letters and never take their eye off the prize. Those are the people who get what they want, when they want it. Those are the people I envy!

To master this art of goal achievement, you need to be able to live in a state of trust (so these successful people tell me). You need to learn how to surrender. In direct opposition to my understanding, surrender doesn’t actually mean giving up, it simply means letting go. Your goals are there, in the back of your mind, but you are willing to let go and trust that whatever is meant to be, wherever you are supposed to be going, you will get there – but only when you are good and ready.

Society struggles with the virtue of patience. We want everything to be as it should be right here and now. We have forgotten how to enjoy the moment we have been blessed with and instead focus all our energy onto the future – or even worse, the past. We know that the great author, Eckhart Tolle, specifically told us to live in the power of now and to focus on every second, but sometimes (let’s be honest) it’s damn hard – especially if our present situation is not exactly what we hoped for!

There’s no shame in wishing that your life were otherwise, but there’s something to be said about dwelling on what you don’t have. Some things are simply out of our control. To feel truly happy, it is imperative to learn to surrender. That is not to say that your goals become null and void, it just means that you are willing to trust that everything will work out for you when all the necessary elements are in place.

If you can move peacefully towards your aspirations, while remaining completely present in your current situation, you will find that doors will open up for you. And because you are paying attention to the moment, and not the future, you will be able to see the doors and you’ll walk through them with pride. But, if your head is constantly down, pushing to make your dreams a reality, you will miss everything else that is going on around you. You need to grant yourself the permission to stop trying.

That’s right, STOP TRYING SO HARD!

Have you ever felt so burnt out that you can’t even drag yourself out of bed in the morning? That is a sign that you are trying too hard – you are pushing directly AGAINST the order of your life, meaning you are actually battling your own soul. This is bound to tire you out – it’s like going into a boxing ring with yourself!

Instead, be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. When you accomplish something – no matter how small – reward yourself for listening and doing something you love. Next time you make it to the gym or you take yourself to watch a movie on your own, pat yourself on the back and say well done for doing something you wanted to do. This is the start – from here, you can have a whole life of things you dream of, but you must learn to let the universe play its role as your mentor.

Move towards your goals with peace in your heart and be determined, not desperate. Desperation will shift your goals further away from you, instead of bringing them closer. If something that you long for is not happening, learn to accept it and know it will happen when the time is right and you are ready for it.

Know in your heart what you want, and in your head, let go. Release and surrender. And every day, you will move even closer to your dreams without you even knowing it!