Tag Archives: live in the present moment

22

Surrender To Change In Life

Leave a comment

One of the hardest things to do is surrender and let go of your worries about a situation you are experiencing. We are trained from a young age to think we are responsible for everything happening around us. We are not. Events always occur without our blessing, permission, or even our knowledge.

Change is a constant companion, and most don’t welcome it.  Under the disguise of creating the best scenario for ourselves and those we love, we resist many changes and fight against the inevitable. Surrender is not giving up or letting someone walk all over you. That is being a pushover. Surrender is letting go of the mental and emotional attachment to what is.  It is healthy and valuable to your personal growth and enjoyment of life.  Things are going to change and be what they are. All things are continually evolving and morphing into something else. Surrender to this fact and accept what is.

What Is

Some things occur that are real and something you have to deal with. No matter how hard you resist their existence, they are still there.  Many life changes scare people and force them to do things they don’t necessarily want to do. Sometimes you may like how things are going and see a change as a threat.  If things can change, even in a small way, then significant changes can also happen, which isn’t very comforting. The understanding that nothing is permanent is a disheartening thought but a persistent and honest one.  Because it drives home the actual fact that we are not permanent and will one day die, this ride will end. Along the way, all people will get old.  All people will become ill. All relationships will eventually end.

Surrendering your emotions to these inevitable facts will allow you to enjoy the good stuff that comes into your existence and makes up for what happens in your life. This moment is all there is. We can’t live in the past. As good as it seems to you,  it is done and over, and we can’t live in a future that may never be.  Surrender to this moment and the things you can experience right now. This is accepting what is and living your life rather than putting resistance to the present moment because of your fear. Jump into what exists and find the joy available at this moment. It is what it is.

What you Miss

When you resist what is, you cut yourself off from many of the good things in life that make the experience of being alive great. Like shutting yourself in a room with no windows, and just on the other side of those walls are great people, the world around you, and your own greatness. But resistance to what is keeps all of those things away from you.  This is because you are increasing the feelings of separateness. When you feel separate, then you feel more vulnerable and alone. This is all an illusion brought on by a refusal to surrender to what is. The temperature outside may be hot, you can either surrender to it and take measures to enjoy it, or you can resist it, whine about it, complain, and experience no joy in the day. It is always your choice.

We have all created an identity throughout our lives the outside world sees, or more clearly, what we let the outside world see.  We protect what is inside us because showing our most authentic selves makes us vulnerable. What if others don’t like it? We resist showing our true selves too often. This resistance to who we are creates separateness from ourselves, and we live a life as an imposter.  Surrendering who we are creating an opportunity to be unleashed on the world. That is an excellent thing for us and the world as well. If more people were living from their true selves, there would be less anger, fear, and hate in the world.

It Comes Clear

When we surrender to who we are and accept things as they are, rather than the identity we have created to show the world with our job, possessions, status, or reputation, we surrender to our proper form. The outer crust of fake identity becomes transparent, and greatness can shine through.  Whatever you call this essence, The Universe, God, Power, or however you relate to it. It will shine through best when you are yourself. Who cares if somebody else doesn’t like it?

All judgments of others, anger toward others, and fear come from a resistance to being who you are. Surrender to the great things inside of you. They are there, no matter who you are or what you have done.  Each of us is not separate; we are connected through a force inside us.  Acceptance and surrender go hand in hand and allow us to experience life the best we can and to become the best representation of ourselves that we can be. The ride will be taken regardless, and your attitude and acceptance determine the joy you will have and the fulfillment you will enjoy.

Take time today to surrender to what is and who you truly are. It is the greatest gift you have and the one that will mean the most to you and the world.  Stop fighting against events, loss, sadness, joy, happiness, or whatever else is coming into your life today. Surrender to the feelings you have and be the great person you are meant to be.  YOU!!

 “Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go.” -Hermann Hesse

 “There’s a victory in letting go of your expectations.” -Mike White

 “To design the future effectively, you must first let go of your past.” -Charles J. Givens

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

 “If you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly those moments.” -Anne Morrow Lindbergh

21

Enemy

Leave a comment

know-your-enemy3Today I fought my greatest enemy.  They seemed to be following me throughout my day and gleefully took each opportunity to point out my apparent shortcomings. My enemy spoke against me of decisions made in the past. Then I was inundated with their worry about the future. It was a non-stop assault that had its desired effect on me, I felt let down, angry, upset, and wanted to fight back.  So I engaged my greatest enemy with the truth, which always seems to be the best weapon. My thoughts are the enemy. My mind continually provides negative ones if I let it.  But pushed in the right direction, a positive reward can be found. Here are some truths which build the positive.  Look at your life.

The Past Doesn’t Matter.

I calmly explained that the past is an illusion that we all choose to remember our way. All people tend to have selective and prejudice memories about the events of their lives. Sometimes making them leave the pastmore prominent and more terrifying than they were to justify our behavior today or use them as motivation. Sometimes we tend to wax nostalgic about the past and make people and moments more significant than they were. Our attachment is due to our emotional behavior at the time or a wish to experience it again today. Our memories are not entirely true. The past is a game of the mind, and you remember most of it exactly how you want to.

As I explained this to the enemy, there was a quick recap of the events he perceived as mistakes in my life. All brought one thought of truth.
“Accurate or not, there is no way a thing can be changed today.”  It is all history, and it is done and over. The best any of us can do with our past is to learn the lessons it teaches, then put it away and move forward with an optimistic outlook on the potential that each new day brings to us.

The Future is Never Known

Then almost immediately defeated in bringing up the futurepast, the enemy moved to worry about the future. Throwing all catastrophic scenarios that may occur if I didn’t start to take some specific action that the enemy condescendingly called “Common Sense.” Yet, I was able to fight this battle with thoughts about the future. Nothing has been written in stone. All things are continuously changing, and no matter how much detail you plan something with, the results may be different from what you ever expected. Worrying about the future is taking away the capability for happiness today. It robs you of the ability to enjoy the moment. My enemy revels in this type of victory, but today was not his day. I was resolute in my convictions. Plan for tomorrow as best you can, and let tomorrow take care of itself because, in the end, it always will.

The Victory is In Today

So as my enemy, frustrated and angry at not being able to raise my anger, I silently questioned himself. I started only nowto think about the only thing left, and that is this moment right now. Sitting here, typing this, right here and right now. Not even my greatest enemy can disturb the truth and wonder that this moment contains. As I breathe in and out and contemplate the moment, I realize that the enemy is gone.

You won the game for the day, but there will be more struggles in the future because the most significant enemy lives, smugly, arrogantly, and entirely within me.  Waiting to remind me to: Accept the past, don’t worry about the future, and live in the moment. To do anything else seems like a losing battle.