To give up or surrender? That is the question at-hand. Upon first glance, both of these concepts may seem to hold the same meaning but upon closer investigation, both terms embody very different contexts.
What exactly does it mean to give up or surrender? Well, the working definition of “giving up” is to cease to make an effort and resign to failure, yet, to “surrender” is defined as ceasing to resist by way of relinquishing control over to someone else.
I am drawing this comparison to illustrate an essential aspect of living a life in alignment with our soul’s intent or what we call purpose. Purpose is not always something we have at the forefront of our minds ready to be manifested. If you’re like many of us, you tend to have to go through some pretty challenging shit, in which, as you put the pieces of your experiences together, clarity is born and subsequent purpose is revealed. A gradual happening.
What does all of this have to do with giving up and surrendering? When I reflect on my own personal journey, I can count on two hands the number of times I began down a path and gave up before it had the chance to germinate into something worthwhile. I was a chronic “giver-upper” - if that’s a word. I submitted to failure time and again.
After some time, the desire to sit still and contemplate came over me; probably because of the mental and physical fatigue that accompanies starting and stopping over and over again or maybe it was my spirit saying, “Hey, lets try a different approach!” It was in this space where I was moved to look at things differently, and instead of going with the first impulse to act like I usually did, I surrendered.
For the first time, instead of thinking my way through life - I took a step back and began to listen to my intuition. I began to listen to my body and move towards the things that felt right instead of doing things based on financial gain or what I was “kinda” interested in.
A funny thing happens when we surrender to the flow of our life and begin moving intuitively. At first, fear becomes ever-present because when it comes to purpose, what we are here to do or be can be so outside of what we believe is possible that it frightens us. Deep down, we know how much more fulfilling our lives would be if we would only move towards that thing we truly desire but there’s major resistance present. Maybe your deepest desire is to be an artist or a physician, or business owner, or maybe you desire to travel for a living to see the world, only you know, but what I do know is that getting there requires us to relinquish control.
Relinquish control of what you think your life is supposed to look like based on what you have been told or the conditioning we tend to subscribe to as a part of our culture. Surrender, and allow life to carry you. As if you are laying on your back floating in a body of water, permitting the stream to carry you.
Through much trial and error I have come to find that life is much like a stream, and the more we fight against it, the more we “sink to the bottom”, but in surrendering, we find ease, we find purpose, we float. It won't be all crystal balls and fairy-tales along the way, we will still encounter those character building experiences that will bring about discomfort and even pain, but in surrendering you can be sure that these experiences are for a reason. Surrender to the current of your life, allow it to carry you where you need to go. Remember the definition of surrendering is relinquishing control over to someone else - that “someone” else is the natural rhythm of our lives. Let life guide you - it knows what it is doing.
Jordan A. DeLoach was born and raised on the west side of Detroit, MI. From an early age, he was drawn to reading and utilized writing as a form of self-expression. He would later find an interest in the occult, health and wellness, spirituality, and topics that expanded his understanding of himself and the world around him. Jordan went on to obtain formal education, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences at Tennessee State University an H.B.C.U. in Nashville, TN and later enrolling in courses at the International Academy of Astrology. Jordan published his first book, “So You Want to Be A Vegetarian?: A Step-by-Step Guide To A Plant-Based Diet'' in 2016 and followed up with his second publication in 2020 titled, "30 Days of Transformation: A Journey Back To Yourself". He currently resides in Atlanta, GA.
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