The Power of Surrender

If you surrender to the wind, you can ride it. ~Toni Morrison

We might not think of surrender as leading to power. On the contrary, the word often suggests defeat or weakness. But surrender in the realm of spirit is different. Here, we are referring to alignment with the universal energy of creation. The power that we access is not our own power, but rather the power that is present and available to all. This is power that is not generated or controlled by us as individuals, but rather it is a movement of energy that carries us effortlessly in its current when we quit striving to conquer it.

Marianne Williamson said that our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. This universal power is what she was referring to. This is the power of life itself. It flows through us with every breath and heartbeat. So why would that be scary?

Maybe because it means giving up the ego’s illusion of control. Control is all about fear, often mistaken as strength and ambition. Surrender is about true courage and trust, rather than false security.

Maybe because it means taking responsibility for your own liberation. The river of freedom makes no allowance for blame, victimhood, holding on to the past, judgments, delays, or retribution. The way we navigate life is up to us.

Maybe because you have to want it more than you want to continue suffering. That sounds like a no brainer, but it might be surprising how much we want to stay in our familiar home of narratives of identity and circumstances, no matter how painful.

Whatever the fear is, surrender requires us not to fight it, but to transcend it, to release ourselves into the loving embrace of the universe, knowing that we are aligned with truth, one with all creation, riding the wave of freedom, with awe and joy and gratitude.

Surrender is the name of the spiritual game. ~Adyashanti