Like the daily practice of meditation – surrendering is a moment-to-moment practice.

Do you have the patience to wait
Till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
Till the right action arises by itself? ~Lao Tzu

When we are innocent and vulnerable to the next moment, the universe unfolds with greater grace and ease – and we flow with it rather than observing from afar or struggling with it. The magic of miracles happens most when we remain open without expectation.

So why do we struggle? Why do we white knuckle the things that take up so much room, time, and energy within our sacred, internal space? Why is being neutral and accepting so difficult, especially when overcoming and releasing with grace feels so good? It all comes back to our primal desire to cling to the known – even if it’s an uncomfortable known because we crave the familiar.

As His Holiness, the Seventh Dalai Lama wrote, “All things found in the world and beyond are illusions created by one’s own concepts. Grasping at them but further distorts perception. Give up grasping and see things as they are.”

Everything in this life is about attention & intention. When we truly place our attention on something it gives us the innate ability to merge with that thing. By remaining attentive with positive intention, we give ourselves CHOICES. When we choose to surrender to the moment and accept that this moment is exactly as it should be – with all of it’s flaws and uncertainty – there is a sense of relief… we feel calmer, clearer, and carry a greater openness to the next moment.

This might sound contradictory. On one hand detaching, and on the other hand placing your attention where it needs to go. But it’s the spiritual dance we perform each day as we show up & surrender. Finding the elusive balance between the two can be perplexing, especially when you are still searching for your desired outcome. That’s why pure surrender is detachment with attention. It’s like driving a car – we simply push down on the accelerator and steer. We don’t worry if the right amount of gas is getting into the engine, combusting at exactly the right moment, focusing on the gears interlocking at just the right time. Why? Because we trust that the process works. And if our attention is on the present and our intention is for the future – then surrender unfolds with ease.

The two components of surrender are Trust and Acceptance. Acceptance doesn’t mean that you’re compromising to life, situations, or people. Rather, it’s a wonderful opening of the heart, which connects you to the profound life force that is the symphony of universal existence…tapping you directly into the flow of nourishing energy. When we FINALLY let go of the “result driven” and “worried” patterns of thinking – we simultaneously open up to organically receiving what we desire most for ourselves.

So let’s spend this week surrendering and trusting that the seeds we’ve planted, fertilized, watered, nurtured, and loved will blossom & bloom because of our detachment!! In the meantime, I’ll see you in the gap! Aham brahmasmi baby. ~davidji

P.S. Remember to adopt your next pet!