It’s funny how the mind works, this post was inspired by a song I heard called “surrender” and it got me thinking of how this word could also be used in a positive context. Perspectives make such a big difference.

The first thing I think of when I hear this word is: accepting defeat and usually in a war scenario, when you raise the white flag. Many of us though fight our own battles daily and it amazes me how this three syllable word has so much power.

I feel that this word has so much depth. Funny thing about words, it has profound effects on people who actually allow it to affect them. Actions speak louder than words but words are remembered, whereas actions sometimes may not.

There are two ways to look at how this word is used. When someone surrenders it’s like they are accepting defeat and can fairly be called the loser. However, this greatly depends on the situation in which they have surrendered. Even in a war, when people surrender, they may have lost the battle but they have spared the lives of those who did not die. That’s a victory, in some ways, even though it’s a loss for the nation.

The battles we fight everyday are thankfully not as gruesome and it isn’t a matter of life or death (unless you’re a paramedic or doctor, in that case hope you always win your battle) and yet we “fight” to try to stay in control. It’s like us, as humans, have an incessant need to always be in control and if things don’t go according to plan, frustration kicks in. Been there, done that and now I’m blogging about it (well, kind of).

I read a nice quote, which fits in perfectly with this post: “Surrender to what is, let go of what was and have faith in what will be” by Sonia Ricotti. There’s an eloquence to this statement that if I close my eyes and think about it, I can almost feel the peace she may be trying to convey…almost. In some ways, it is what religions teach you or why people meditate or do yoga. It’s meant to centre you so you can feel at peace, to let go of pettiness and the things you have no control over.

How do you ‘surrender to what is’? I’ve always believed to work hard and you will make it to the top, however how can you surrender if you aren’t where you want to be? In my mind, it doesn’t make sense to surrender, it’s as if we’re meant to give up when it isn’t easy, it’s quite a catch-22 actually, you want to stay in control yet surrendering might be the best option. On the flip-side, “surrender to what is” doesn’t have to mean giving up, it means to accept that some things are difficult and to make the effort anyway. Do it without being frustrated, so you surrender or will-fully accept that it may be tough at the moment but have faith and believe that it will work out in the end. Imagine how wonderful it will feel when you get what you’ve been working so hard for and let that be your drive.

Have faith for the best is yet to come. 🙂

Photo credit: A friend of mine took this photo of me while I was figuring out what get for lunch, it started to rain and I opened my umbrella and she captured the moment. We surrendered to having pizza.

Selectively Curious©