The Power of Surrender

We live in a world of defend and attack. How we can avoid pain and only experience joy and pleasure? At first glance, this system that we’ve been programmed with since birth seems pretty logical. Yes, I want to be happy and experience bliss all the time. And no, screw heartache, sadness, disappointment and discomfort, I don’t want any of that. So, what happens? We defend ourselves against things that have caused us pain in the past and things that might potentially cause it in the future. We create a veil of defense to protect ourselves in case of danger. This veil has helped us evolve as a species by keeping us safe from the natural hazards in our environment. Yet now I can clearly see its debilitating effects on our collective psychological, emotional, and social development worldwide.

When I take a closer look at my defenses as they come up in different situations, I find them tied to my ego and based on the past. My ego deems certain scenarios as dangerous to me and worthy of attack or defense. These situations are actually opportunities I’ve had in relationships, in my music, and in my career. They come up to push me to the next level, and they have been met with this deep feeling of defense/attack. This reaction has always slowed down my progress, causing the opportunity to either disintegrate or shift to someone ready to take the step. How many times in your life have you allowed the fear of perceived pain, disappointment, failure, or the unknown and uncontrollable slow down your personal evolution?

Throughout my studies, there’s always one common trait among successful men & women in the spiritual, financial, and personal development fields: the courage to Surrender. The weird thing is, our society puts a negative connotation on the word surrender. They make us feel like it’s giving up, wussing out, letting ourselves down. Yet, I’ve personally found it to be one of the most powerful experiences that I have had in my life. Through surrender, I’ve found answers to questions that I never thought would come. And through these experiences, I have found the courage to face obstacles and problems that bring up the fear around having to change something within me. Right when I think I’ve got it all figured out, my wise, beautiful, loving life throws something at me that forces me to re-evaluate my views and beliefs about things. Something to push my comfort level and surrender my defenses in order to move forward, like a yoga posture I’ve done a thousand times, yet today it's harder than ever.

Some friends are skydiving for the first time this weekend. They’ve been involved with this cool project of doing something you fear everyday. I think this is an awesome practice, so inspiring for us all as a culture. You’re skydiving, jumping out of a friggin plane at high altitude for Pete’s sake! Talk about surrender, letting go of your defenses, doubts and fears and jumping into the unknown. Now, of course, the first time you’ve got an expert with you on your back and back-up parachutes, however, there’s always the unknown - anything can happen and nothing is guaranteed. That apprehension of the unknown is what we feel when we fall in love, start a new school, business, yoga class, whatever. Yet when we take that leap, we’re totally different people. Our minds, bodies, our very DNA is changed forever, always because we’ve surrendered.

As I write this and think about the words moving through my Heart and into my hands. I know that I will never be the same after this blog. I’ve expressed a powerful intention to change my life, manifested it on paper, and sent it out into the universe. To stay the same everyday is insanity, holding on to my small view instead climbing higher to a more majestic view is ridiculous. I walk the path of conscious surrender, everyday. It is hard, scary, frustrating, exciting, mysterious, and I AM Loving every minute of it!!!

*SAT NAAM*

EuGene