Reflections on surrendering
My word for 2024 is surrendering. If 2023 taught me anything, I rarely have any control over the outcomes of my actions. All I can do is put my best foot forward and hope for the best. Not having any control is not necessarily a bad thing. We often lose sight of the bigger picture when we try to over-engineer an outcome.
Life as it unfolds can bring pleasant surprises if we let it. There are, of course, challenges, too, and trust me, there have been many of those. Especially in the last two months of 2023, I’m still working through what that means for me going forward.
Surrendering is not complacency. I assume that some of you will read Surrendering, and the associations you make is that it is just about sitting back and allowing life to unfold without making any consistent effort. That could not be further away from the truth. Cause and effect are still very much real. Therefore, we still have to try to bring valuable ideas to life. So, my energy will be put towards doing good work and partaking in interesting projects, but I will not let myself become caught up in the outcome.
As many would say, fall in love with the process.
Not forcing relationships. Everything in life has an expiry date. No one is leaving this place alive. So, if a friend or acquaintance is not reciprocal in the amount of effort and energy they put in, then let it go. Everything in life comes and goes precisely as it is meant to.
Perception management is a lost cause. I can remember the first time I read that sentence, and it blew my mind. None of us have any control over how other people will perceive our actions. Of course, we can work on communicating in a healthy way, but even so, some people will still not get it, and that’s ok! As long as you communicate as clearly and with as much kindness and compassion as possible, that is all you can do.
People have their own path of life. Family, friends, clients … everyone is on their journey through the earthly realm. I can hold space for them to go deep, self-reflect, and provide helpful guidance. Yet, outside of that, it is up to them to change their lives.
Timing. I may have a specific timeline in my head for people and projects. Still, Spirit might have other plans for me and others, so instead, I will lean into stillness, patience and acceptance, however hard that may be, because of specific frameworks I have established in my mind.
What is your word for 2024 and why?
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