Balancing Control and Surrender
Finding the balance between control and surrender is crucial for personal growth and fulfillment. While our natural inclination is to seek control, relinquishing it takes awareness and effort.
Control can be defined as "holding power over". It is driven by ego, seeking to prevent discomfort and failure, and often leads to anxiety and fear. It curbs trust, stifles intuition, and limits our life's possibilities.
I spent most of my life trying to control my environment, my career, my relationships…you name it. I strived for perfection - which I now realize was control in disguise - in hopes to not feel failure or the pain of rejection. My obsessive planning and high expectations were crippling to my creativity. While being in control kept my ego "safe", I was completely stuck, in constant struggle with life, and stalled in my personal growth.
Surrender, the opposite of control, means trusting your intuition and embracing the unknown. It's about following what feels right, rather than what seems rational, and welcomes endless possibilities. Surrender isn't giving up; it's an act of courage and faith, like you’re flowing downstream with the river instead of fighting the current.
In my life, surrender has entailed embracing change, listening to my heart in career and relationships, and wholeheartedly trusting my intuition as my guiding force.
This balance is essential for aligning with our true paths. These forces coexist within us, and understanding their role is essential for a more harmonious and purposeful life.
