The Pathways of Surrender

When I was a 23-year old “workaholic”, I was all set to graduate from music conservatory and perform my final round of that year’s Metropolitan Opera auditions But then, change happened. 

My vocal coach/mentor sat me down and, out of the blue, announced that he had decided to withdraw his recommendation that was required for my Met auditions. When I demanded and finally pleaded for reasons why, his harsh, long-winded delivery of a reason boiled down to this:

“Look,, PenDell — Whereas I am quite certain that you could and would succeed at those auditions (and I know how it is, because I’ve been there myself) — I realize now that you are not equipped with all the right stuff that you would need to succeed as a professional opera singer.”

After 30 seconds, with me nonplussed and staring at him in disbelief, he said, “You, in no way, have the narcissistic makeup or self-centered heart not to be eaten alive by that world. You are far too soft for the sucker punches that will hit you, fast and hard. It’s for you to let that go now.”       

That purging interaction was a catharsis that showed me the life-changing benefits of letting go. 

Surrendered letting go does not acquiesce, then submit to some perceived enemy or opponent. It is an internal experience that releases external “what, how, when, who, and why” elements.  

In the “Big Picture”, cosmic forces are actually in charge of this world of ours, anyway. So, as we surrender, we can easily let go of the obstacles that we were putting in our own way before, when we attempted to take the control out of Divine hands and give it a try on our own. Now we can release all of it — what we perceive to be good or bad, right or wrong, helpful or limiting.

Surrender means that a believer can completely give up his own self-will, and yield thoughts, ideas, and deeds to the will and the ways of a higher power within. In contrast to submission, true surrender is one’s willing acceptance and openness to the dominant powers of awareness and action in one’s own Self.

What does it mean to “surrender to yourself”? Surrendering to one’s true Self means living the Truth. That includes being positive, courageous, perhaps outrageous — so as to be free, to take risks, and stop putting off becoming who we were meant to be all along.

 An excerpt from the book. “Letting Go”, by David R. Hawkins, bespeaks this “note to Self”: 

“The most obvious and visible effect of letting go of negative feelings is the resumption of emotional and psychological growth and the solving of problems, which have been long standing.”

“There is pleasure and satisfaction as we begin to experience the powerful effects of eliminating the blocks to achievement and satisfaction in life. We soon discover that limiting thoughts and negative beliefs, which we had naively held to be true, were all merely the result of accumulated negative feelings.

“When the feeling is let go, then the thought pattern changes from “I can’t” to ‘I can”, and to “I’m happy to do it.” Entire areas of life can open up. What used to be awkward or unexpressed can become effortless and joyously alive.”

The Life-changing benefits of letting go can (and will, with practice) surmount any difficulties or obstacles, while relieving and relaxing human consciousness in increasing surrender to the creative cycles always at hand. How Utterly Wonderful Life Is …!