One of the joys of my work is around the exchange of ideas. Sometimes those exchanges last a few minutes and sometimes they continue for months (tee hee). During a recent exchange, the question of will versus surrender brought up the issue of control. Our discussion focused on whether surrender was complacency in disguise. Then what about our willful march toward growth through increased self-awareness? What role does acceptance play in this paradigm structure?
Jesse wrote, “Is it about just being… AND… accepting what is, including my current state of awareness, openness, etc., or lack thereof??? But once I become aware that I can be more relaxed, more open, etc., why wouldn’t I allow that? Or change it in that moment? Is a lot of what I have been grappling with recently nothing more than the difference between the path of surrender and the path of the will?”
In my own contemplation of these questions, it occurred that perhaps we didn’t frame the conversation correctly. It seemed more like we were talking about striving (to be the best version of ourselves) versus surrender. As children, we strive to find our place in the world. This can lead to constantly trying to prove our worth. Then we have to learn to communicate who we are, which is a bunch of explaining. Instead of surrendering to the light I bring to the world, I was constantly striving to be more. Striving was the energy around being chosen for the team, making friends, fitting in, adapting to the environment, and being more. Striving is downright exhausting! Let’s get a whisper before I leak out all this energy:
In order to fit the definition of a paradigm, there must be an attribute with two values. The presence or absence created by opposing energies defines the dimension where control meets surrender. Value cannot be measured through conscious awareness.
Duality is always greater when it comes to self-actualization and transformation. Humans face natural opposition when attempting to surrender their will. To give up control feels akin to losing hope for success. While striving is akin to the struggle or fight to obtain something of value, surrender can empty the container that holds control energy.
The unwillingness to surrender is a blocking energy connected to fear. Self-awareness is needed to determine the difference between surrender and giving up. Giving up will always leave an uncomfortable void in the human energy system. When it is a conscious decision to release attachment to outcomes and situations, control is absorbed by the light of surrender.
An unshakable faith in yourself where you see a world shaped by your inner voice is one product of surrender. Striving to be a better person depends on inner strength. The aim of the soul is to find meaning and greater understanding of life. Surrender is trusting your own heart to a level that surpasses the need for understanding. Surrender leads to an increased sense of self-control, making it a fundamental aspect to the integration of spiritual growth. Striving and surrender are both on the continuum of collective progression in the journey of the soul.
Bring joy, ease suffering and create beauty, then dance like you mean it!
Blessings, Russell
“Surrender is when we stop toiling and striving and we begin receiving and arriving. Nothing is more beautiful to experience than the inner rest that follows surrender.”
Shannon Tanner
Want an Experience?
Do you want to learn how to to see auras? The 4.1 Multidimensional Bodies might be for you.
Are you interested in learning how to grow your intuitive senses? The 1.2 Archangels and Ascended Masters will show you a fun way to experience your gifts.
Have you ever been interested in a past-life experience? The 5.2 on Past Lives has an exercise designed with this in mind.
Start your new journey today at the IEL Institute for the Spiritual Arts. Years in the making, the comprehensive material is available for one low monthly price. In gratitude, Russell and Beckie
