25 July 2011
Me in Edinburgh - April 22, 2011
I've been thinking a lot about surrendering lately. Not giving up. Two very different things...
I've had so much on my mind what with Scotland and the need and want to change, move forward (and out). About paying off debt and saving money so I can go off and do extraordinary things. But the funny thing is...I'm doing extraordinary things all the time. Just daring to believe that there's another way...of following my bliss. And I think that it's time I surrender to The Universe. I've planted my seeds and continue to tend to them (rocky patches and all) but it's time to sit back a bit and see how they grow. To stop anticipating certain outcomes or fearing what they'll be. I need to be. I not only feel this deep down, I continually get reminders, i.e. a recent horoscope from OM.com :
July 21, 2011Things We Can’t Control Allow, Trust
We develop grace as we learn with the guiding hand of the universe, life will unfold exactly the way it should.
The idea of trusting the universe is a popular one these days, but many of us don’t know what this really means and we often have a hard time doing it. This is partly because the story of humankind is most often presented as a story about struggle, control, and survival, instead of one of trust and collaboration with the universe. Yet, in truth, we need to adhere to both ideas in this life.
On the one hand, there is much to be said about exerting control over our environment. We created shelter to protect ourselves from the elements. We hunted for animals and invented agriculture to feed ourselves. We built social infrastructures to protect ourselves and create community. This is how we survive and grow as a civilization. However, it is also clear that there are plenty of things that we cannot control, no matter how hard we try, and we often receive support from an unseen force – a universe that provides us with what we cannot provide for ourselves.
It is a good idea to take responsibility for the things in life that we can control or create. We work so we can feed, clothe, and shelter our loved ones and ourselves. We manifest our dreams and visions in physical form with hard work and forethought. But at a certain point, when we have done all that we can, we must let go and allow the universe to take over. This requires trust. It requires a trust that runs deeper than just expecting things to turn out the way we want them to. Sometimes they will, and sometimes they won’t. We develop equanimity and grace as we learn to trust that, with the guiding hand of the universe, life will unfold exactly the way it should. We are engaged in an ongoing relationship with a universe that responds to our thoughts and actions.
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I used to resist this a lot, and I still have those moments...but I've begun to realize that surrendering is what my body wants me to do. That's where the drained feelings have been coming from. Just admitting this makes me feel lighter and more energetic. I don't have to do it all. Sitting here, with my Iona stone resting against my heart, that feels pretty good.
Ahhhhhh....
XO
*Photos by Sara Osten