Surrender

What do you think of when you hear the word surrender? 

Giving up, losing, quitting... I'm sure we could list countless more definitions. My own therapist once told me to "surrender and drift." My initial response to this was "what the....."

Give up and give in? No thank you! Not me! I don't like to lose and I'm very competitive. I was receptive to the drifting part, but surrender? Please. 

Until I looked up the definition of surrender. Well, here it is...

"cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority"

Cease resistance. I like that part. Stop fighting things out of of control. Stop struggling and fusing and over identifying with difficult and dark emotions. Many of us have come to believe that emotions are the enemy. They are not! Our behaviors and reactions are what aren't always healthy or safe. I know personally that when I stop resisting my anxiety and begin to accept it, the level of my anxiety decreases significantly. 

Submit to their authority. Ok, I still struggle with one. However, once we grasp the concept that we are in control of ourselves and our actions, we are our own authority! Especially when it comes to feelings and emotions! Ok, so I can submit to myself! 

So what's the point of this post you might be wondering by now. I'm going to tie this up in a nice, pretty bow now. 🎀

When we find ourselves facing a tough decision or constantly battling and fighting ourselves (or someone else), consider surrendering and drifting. It might just be one of the bravest and freeing choices you can make!