Learning The Art of Surrendering
And Staying in the Flow of Life
“Those who are certain of the outcome can afford to wait and wait without anxiety.” ― Gabrielle Bernstein
I thought I have learned to let go of things, but obviously I haven’t learned to let go enough to feel at peace with whatever outcome that unfolds, and to fully embrace the uncertainty at every step. We often forget about this second part of the equation, we are so focused on achieving, striving, and making things happen that we don’t leave enough room for the magic to happen in our lives.
We don’t leave room for when things don’t go according to plan. We get frustrated, disappointed and discouraged. Instead, we can choose to see each turn in our life as an opportunity and guidance to where we should be. I realised that there are many times where the outcome may not be what I had in mind, but in some way, it led me to growth and expansion and new possibilities I never thought of.
We humans are not a machine. There are no exact ‘instructions’ on how to lead our lives. The non-linear path and journey of figuring things out is part of the beauty of our human experience. When we start to cherish each moment and focus on things that are thriving, it brings us to the here and now which actually builds momentum for us to move in the direction we want. I think we all tend to underestimate the power of the present moment and rush to the next thing we have in our busy minds.
“Life gives you plenty of time to do whatever you want to do if you stay in the present moment.” — Deepak Chopra
Slow down. Pause. You’ve got it.
If there’s one thing we can all learn from the pandemic, it is the need to change our behaviours and enjoy the grounded way of living where slow is the new fast. I’m not saying that you stop trying or doing the things that you want to do, but to be able to build in space and time to step back and be objective about where you are heading. It is to take time to reflect, gather insights and re-calibrate yourself. There is so much that can we learn from our own journey and process when we consistently reflect on them.
“Working toward balance takes a lot of ingredients. We need courage, reflection, attention, action, and a push-and-pull relationship between effort and relaxation. “
— Tara Stiles
And this quote beautifully sums up the message and learning I’ve had in trying to achieve the plans and goals I had set up for myself. I will start practicing leaning into the relaxation, mastering the push and pull efforts of building a life and career I want, where I consciously release and surrender my efforts and allow what is meant for me to enter into my life.
