THE JOY OF SURRENDER

Recently I have noticed a resurgence in me of a trait that I thought I had dismissed from the long list of bad habits that I give myself credit for.

Resistance.

It may be to do with the pandemic, or it may have re-emerged with the advent of a new year that brings forth endless offerings of ways for us to ”better” or “improve” ourselves, simply because the date has changed. Whether my resistance is to the thought of having to change long-established behaviours, or to so many people requesting huge amounts of your hard-earned money to discover a miracle solution to whichever problem is occupying you most at this moment, I am not sure.

I know that in the past I have been resistant to change. I would tell myself that it was not change itself that made me stubbornly cling to old ways of doing things or old beliefs. And sometimes that would be true. Change for change’s sake often causes more harm than good. But after seismic changes in my life, I began to see that change can also be necessary, a breath of fresh air that brings new perspective and often amazing new opportunities.

In the space where I choose to hang out now, in the world of spiritual insight and perception, a person is spoilt for choice. Whatever we are seeking is laid out before us, our very own Las Vegas strip with neon signs competing for our attention and dancing fountains, that line our path as we explore the smorgasbord of content available to us. I watch people dart between the vast casinos open to us, each with their own special attraction.

But all essentially offering one thing. Enlightenment. COVID-19 has brought many more people to this space, to be tempted by the razzle-dazzle.

But all searching for the same thing. Enlightenment.

My own spiritual revelation was unexpected and fairly explosive but immediately followed by an incredible acceptance. So much made sense for the first time. Since then, there have been insights, some big, some small but that acceptance has never wavered.

Perhaps I was lucky. I was immediately satisfied with the answer I discovered. Felt certain that I had stumbled onto the answer I had been looking for all my life. From time to time I have had to do a bit of inner work to feel able to apply my beliefs to some difficult situations, but I have remained sure and steady in my conviction.

I remember hearing a swimming coach advise some kids, who had not yet learned to swim, that it was important to learn to float. And that if they fell into deep water, they would be able to save themselves by floating. That if they struggled and fought to stay afloat, they were more likely to drown.

Perhaps that is a good metaphor for life. We should surrender and float. Stop working quite so hard to find an answer. Stop fighting, it uses too much energy. Lay back and let life support us. Which it will.

There is joy in surrender. And relief. It creates space to allow the magic in. Time to reflect and revel in the miracles all around us, which are often unseen in the glare of the neon of our everyday lives.

#kindness #compassion #connection #love

Let it be. You never know what you may discover in the space.