Much pondering has gone into surrendering to find peace in my life. I have always felt the need to be consistently ‘doing something’ to reach my desired outcome. Now I am wondering if surrendering is just as important.
After doing some research on the meaning of surrender, AI gave me some interesting thoughts on the meaning behind surrendering:
To surrender means to stop resisting and allow something to be as it is.
- Letting go of trying to control every outcome
- Accepting a situation you can’t change
- Admitting “this isn’t working” and choosing a new path
It’s not quitting—it’s releasing the fight that isn’t helping you.
What is more important: Continuing to fight or finding peace? Maybe resisting is just a way to control a situation to our own personal will! But is that the way to peace, love and understanding?
Of course, every situation is different, and we all react differently. But in my own life, maybe surrendering is the answer to the turmoil I feel at times.
More digging into the meaning of surrender, I found an old story that explains further:
“Happiness is not a target…it is a state only attainable by being in the present moment. Surrender to the moment and to the universe and happiness will unfold within you. Point yourself at the target of happiness…and you will miss.
Nathaniel Hawthorne once famously said, “Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”
Have you ever been so involved in a certain situation, where you were so sure you were right, that you became rigid about it? Unfortunately, I have! But after a while, it becomes apparent that banging my head against my perceived righteousness just makes me more unhappy and takes away my peace!
Sometimes, it is challenging to live in peace. So much in the media and the world around me triggers our senses. But where is the balance between fighting for what is right and surrendering to find peace? Without peace, can we promote change in the world?
Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi are admirable because they both advocated peaceful protest. On the world stage, peaceful protest does promote change — slowly, maybe — but change! Can we find a way to transfer that consciousness to our thoughts and ensuing action?
As I ponder this myself, I want to challenge you to find and share your experience with surrendering to find peace in life.