Surrender

“The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.” - Julia Cameron

When we surrender we are taken to places we could not have not chosen on our own. We are shown things that we could never have seen or known if we did not open to a flow greater than our comprehension.

Surrendering opens us up to new potential. When we surrender and let go of holding on so tightly, we can begin to see new possibilities within old perimeters. When we find beauty in what “is,” we free ourselves from the need to try and control our wild life.

In the times we live in, “Surrender” may seem like a strange prompt. I want to be very clear, “Surrender” is not the same as “giving up” or being complacent in times of injustice. It is the courageous act of letting go of control, believing in a deeper current of truth, and responding to life with openness rather than fear.

Surrender invites us to let go of the illusion that we can (or must) control everything, especially outcomes we can't force. It reminds us to hold onto at least one glimmer of hope - however hard it gets - in the knowledge that right now is one pixel that comprises the greater picture of all life, and the role the moment plays will reveal itself in the context of something bigger than we can comprehend from where we stand. 

“If there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering.” -Holocaust Survivor, neurologist, psychologist, and philosopher Viktor Emil Frankl

Surrender invites us to relieve the tension in ours hearts and mind so we can act from a place of peace rather than fear or aggression.In this way, surrender isn't weakness — it's a kind of courageous strength, a clearing of space for real transformation

Surrender invites us to be like a  dancer yielding to the music: Instead of stiffly forcing each step, the dancer listens, feels, and allows the music to move through their body. Surrender here creates beauty, not passivity. Like a tree bending in the wind: It doesn’t snap by resisting the storm; it survives by yielding, flexing, and trusting its roots to hold steady. Like a seed breaking open in the soil: It looks like destruction, but it’s actually the necessary surrender for growth into something greater.

In this image there is a being who is in a completely relaxed and meditative state. Their eyes are open and they are taking it all in, sparking growth and transformation to spring from their essence in the form of butterflies and plants. The geometry behind them is indicative of the interconnected of ALL things, not just the things we love and believe in but ALL things, as they are ALL part of the greater picture that is far beyond our current vision. 

“Surrender is surrender to this moment, not to a story through which you interpret this moment and then try to resign yourself to it.” - Eckhart Tolle

Surrender reminds us that sometimes our greatest strength is knowing when to let go - and then actually doing so. Sometimes the only way to change our circumstances is to release the illusions we are familiar with and allow the vast intelligence of the flow of life to work its magic on us. Surrender is not submitting and giving up, it is about releasing our ego and expectations to allow ourselves to be shown a bigger picture.

“Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.”-  Viktor Emil Frankl