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- The Art of Surrender
The Art of Surrender
- By Jamie Walters
- Published 04/18/2009
- Inspiration
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Jamie Walters
Jamie Walters is an inspired 'creative inquirist', transformation guide, inspiration catalyst, and "prophet of an emerging new economy of intelligent, caring, cutting edge entrepreneurs.
She is the founder of Ivy Sea, Inc., author of Big Vision, Small Business the handbook for conscious SOHO/Solo enterprise published by Berrett-Koehler — and Leading at the Visionary Edge (forthcoming from ICFAI University Press). She is also the creatrix of Ivy Sea Online.
Jamie integrates her professional / business experience with her energy, shamanic, and Indigenous Wisdom training, to help individuals and organizations cultivate vision, intuition, creativity, and other innate and unique gifts, and apply them in the workplace and other areas of life.
This liberation of this innate 'genius' supports skillful communication, transformation, conscious business,and a meaningful, purpose-aligned way of being and working.
Visit Ivy Sea Online.
And that can be pretty exhausting, and not a little frustrating, can't it? It can feel like you're traveling incognito -- pretending to be someone other than the unique and radiant being that you are.
What does it mean to surrender? What are we surrendering to? There are many answers, no doubt, from many traditions.
Really, the fine art of surrender is a skill and gift we cultivate because something within us knows that there is a more effortless way. It seems impossible, doesn't it, particularly in challenging times?
Yet challenging times are precisely when new ways of approaching and seeing things are most needed -- when the 'old ways' just don't seem to be working, personally or collectively.
The art of surrender calls us to release what we might think is 'the best way' of doing something so that we can open to a more truly inspired way. Surrender is when we let go of swimming against the current and learn to go with the flow of life. We surrender limited thinking and too-small visions; we surrender what isn't who we truly are.
This can seem pretty frightening, can't it? I mean, really, what will happen? Our 'fear-tracks' play over and over again in our minds, saying "You have to DO something!"
Not really. More and more, being is the new doing.
Surrender and being with what is, we stop fighting it and are able to see through it. We open to inspiration, grace, intuitive guidance, and new ideas.
But don't we have to 'do something', you might ask?
Of course, we take action, yet instead of taking action out of old models of thinking and doing, so often driven by fear and scarcity, we allow 'right doing' to follow the inspiration and intuitive guidance that arises. We let go a bit, and allow synchronicities to come into our lives, resolving things in ways we might never thought possible.
It is an art. As with art, we cultivate and practice to gain greater comfort and mastery with the craft. Yet it's also a simple practice.
To what do we surrender? That might depend on a particular tradition of a Higher Guidance, whether our own, Infinite Spirit, God, or other greater awareness.
I recorded an audio InspiraLogue (inspiring dialogue) on the topic of Surrender with a mentor of mine, Lynda Terry, a meditation teacher and author. And you'll find inspiration on this and other topics at Ivy Sea Online. If you want personalized attention, explore a personal consultation or mentoring series.
Here's to surrendering to a more inspired way, so that we may more effortlessly and gracefully find our way through the challenges we face -- and so that we might enliven a greater vision that lives within us!