SURRENDER
Surrender means: to give up; resign, relinquish, wave the white flag, yield.
Remember “Surrender Dorothy” from the Wizard of Oz? How many of us treat our lives as though the Wicked Witch of the East is after us and we must hold on and persevere against all odds to survive?
How many of us, on the other hand, take action steps, keep positive thoughts, accept opportunities and do all that we can – and then surrender, let go? Be present and release the results to the Universe to bring to us as it wishes?
Julia Cameron said: “The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.”
Therein lies the trick – to do all that we can and then to surrender. Once we surrender we can actually appreciate exactly where we are, the day, the people around us, the circumstances -- all of it. We’ve already done all that we can and now we can relax and just be. There is such goodness and wonderful surprise in letting go and surrendering.
Last week I was to accept an Honorary Achievement Award for my radio show. My boyfriend and some good friends were to meet me at the beautiful hotel where the event was being held. But so much seemed to go wrong. My boyfriend called and said work had asked him at the last minute to stay late. He works in television so there is no “this can wait until tomorrow!. He was upset and asked me what he should do. I told him to stay and do the work and I believed everything would turn out okay. And amazingly – it did. He did all the work they needed and he left his job and made it to the hotel in plenty of time – in fact he got there before me! Now – I did my radio interview that night and left Burbank to drive across town to the hotel. I’d done my interview earlier than usual to accommodate that evening’s event. I’d never left Burbank at that time and found I was caught in terrible traffic – all the TV and film studios surrounding the radio station had let out at the same time and there I was in a sea of cars and red lights – it looked like I would not make it to my own award ceremony. I called my girlfriend who was also driving over and she was heading out late too – although from the complete opposite side of Los Angeles! We assured each other it was all going to be divine timing and truly just connecting with her calmed me down and I knew for me, for her, for everyone - it would turn out perfect. And it was. I got there late ~ however I got there in more than enough time to enjoy the guests and the affair and before the award ceremony began, it turned out fine. I’d surrendered the circumstances and it worked out.
The Indian Spiritual Leader Sri Sathya Sai Baba said:
For some reason Halloween was huge was me this year. I was like a 7 years old -- so excited about it. I wanted to go to a theme park for to celebrate Halloween…it took me over. But my guy wasn’t so sure about it - with the crowds - and asked if we could go another time when it wasn’t so busy. I agreed and surrendered. Then the Friday before Halloween I received a phone call from a company where I’d submitted my name to a contest a month prior saying I had just won the Grand Prize of two tickets, worth $120, to Knott’s Scary Farm to celebrate Halloween. Can you imagine? I surrendered going to an amusement park (even though the desire was still strong) and it came to me anyway -- through the goodness of the Universe…all on its own -- for free! My guy and I went to the park for Halloween and had a very good, scary time.
It’s been amazing lately -- all this letting go I find it really works for me.
I had front row seats at the star-studded 200th anniversary show of “Dancing with the Stars” this week. It was a huge celebration honoring all the past seasons as well as this one. Someone I know got me tickets. I went with a girlfriend and we were very dressed up and happy. When the taping was over I was on line for the restroom and my friend said she was going to leave, hugged me goodbye, and left to drive home. She should have stayed – because a surprise happened next, but she didn’t. We must be surrendered for opportunities to come to us. I stood in line and all of a sudden the guy who’d gotten us the special tickets to the show was standing next to me – he’d been looking for me. “Where’s your friend?” He asked. “She went home,” I told him. “Ahhh too bad,” he said. “Come with me.” And off we went – back stage. I spent the next 1/2 hour having my photo taken on the Dancing with the Stars stage and then back stage hob-knobbing with the celebrities. What an awesome surprise.
There have been so many more lately in my life – what I want to impart here -- is the key for me, for us all, is to surrender. I do so much on a daily, weekly basis to further myself, to achieve my goals. In this part of my life however, it’s about allowing. About stepping back. About knowing I’m doing my best and letting God, the Goddess, the Universe, whatever you call it – take over from there. Then the situation is a “co” create…it’s being done with a combing of efforts and energies and the ride is so much more fun!
Deepak Chopra said: "Surrender is faith that the power of Love can accomplish anything -- even when you cannot foresee the outcome."
I always let go and trust who comes on the “Dare to Dream” show.
I’m now learning to trust which direction my life goes.
I say yes, I do the work and leave the rest in the capable hands of the Loving Universe.
I’m learning to allow myself to sit back and enjoy the ride. The word joy is in the word Enjoy. To be in joy. That’s what life is about. So do the work and then sit back, be present, and enjoy exactly where you are -- it’s all so perfect!
Wonderful things happen when you let go of the reigns of your life and enjoy the moment; enjoy the ride.
David Deida wrote: “The word "surrender" is often interpreted as giving up, as weakness, as admitting defeat. Although this is one way to use the word, we will use it in a different way. Surrendering means letting go of your resistance to the total openness of who you are. It means giving up the tension of the little vortex you believe yourself to be and realizing the deep power of the ocean you truly are. It means to open with no boundaries, emotional or physical, so you ease wide beyond any limiting sense of self you might have.”
Practice surrender today.
With blessings,
Deborah
