The Surrender Experiment - Creating Abundance
Last summer I read the Surrender Experiment by Micheal Singer. The first half of the book really did blow my mind about giving less fucks about life throwing curve balls at me, however by the end of the book I realised that action is still required to manifest all the things. Life has since delivered some pretty cool surprises and I realised that I have also made some magic in the past.
My biggest takeaway from the book was that I was not in control of everything. It was a scary concept to own, after running multiple businesses over the years, working hard, and doing all the things to make success a reality. Often at times, I would feel deep frustration that things weren't working out how I had planned or it felt really really hard.
Note to self here is that if anything in my life now feels frustrating I address it ASAP, there is no need to push when it doesn't feel right. Now I also have to clarify for anyone who is starting something new, of course, there is a little weirdness in the fact we haven't done something before, it can feel scary. But there is a huge difference in feeling that feeling. When we are in true alignment and meant to take on the task ahead, we are powered by passion and we can feel through the discomfort and come out the other side like a total rockstar. When we push because "we have to" or "should" this is where things get icky.
This is me unravelling my lessons because as we move through life, we are always learning, relearning and inquiring about life. There are endless possibilities.
Summer holidays ended in August and I started talking with many locals in my area and the need for counsellors, me being a qualified CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapist) who can help people, sat their listening. It took three mentions and a nudge from one lady saying, can I book a session? Ah, hold on a moment, let me scope out some options where we can I do this. I jumped on socials, I declared that I was going to start a practice and if anyone knew of any spaces I could hire. That week I booked my first client after hiring a room. I did this on and off for a couple of weeks but I really wanted a space to call my own, so I could of course bling it up.
One night laying in bed I had a vision of a building in the high street. I was going to be on the second floor near the wool shop. Now to clarify there is actually a wool shop here in town, however, I had only visited it once when we first moved here which was nine months earlier.
Call me crazy, but I was like, fuck it. I'm going to follow my own personal nudge.
I messaged the lady who owned the wool shop and if she knew of any spaces available in the building (in my mind it was three stories with loads of vacant offices on the second floor) Well, she didn't get back to me for three days. I had no idea about the building really and left it up to fate to point me in the right direction.
I surrendered to see if this thing of me being a CBT in-person in my local area was going to be a thing. After working online for the past five years, I was kinda excited to have my own office, snazzaroo.
Two days later, a message came through after she had been in touch with the owner and they wanted to show me the space. OMG, really! Awesome, so I guess this is happening.
I rang the owner, had a chat, scoped out the financials, then took myself downtown to visit the building. Turns out there are only two stories. And the room is adjacent to the wool shop (like literally my neighbour!) It's kinda funny really that this sort of thing can happen.
This was the first big experience of surrender, I let it all go, I put it up to fate and two weeks later I moved into my new office, which I am still currently in by the way.
It taught me that I don't need to hold on to all the things, especially if they aren't working. I had to let them go, that frustration was not my friend. Through surrendering, I could open myself up to possibilities.
The concept of surrender in my mind is yes, let go of controlling a situation, be open to what is going to come from it and the path that is meant for you is often right in front of you. We just need to be open to seeing it.
When we decided that it was time to leave Australia, it meant that my hubby could look at jobs all around the world. The next week he found the job he is currently in. I remember those butterflies of knowing that this was going to change everything for our family. We moved half-way across the world to the Scottish Highlands and here we are. Surrounded by the most beautiful landscape, wild weather and incredible people rich in tradition.
I know I can make magic happen, I know that abundance is available.
However, I stop that flow when I force, push or make it happen. As a reformed people pleaser, let me tell you business has been a great lesson for me in letting go of caring about what other people think. When I say yes more to new opportunities it helps me to open up, saying no is usually based on my boundaries aka Liz needs sleep, ha ha.
Surrendering has meant that I need to allow life to move through me, be open to those possibilities and cool shit keeps happening.
Another confirmation of surrendering was a few weeks back. It was a Friday night after I had picked up my daughter's friend from school, her mum then joined us for an unplanned dinner. Moving with the flow. The more the merrier in our house. And we started talking about the Northern Lights. Honestly, it has been on my bucket list for years and it was the same for her. She shared an app that I just had to download to give me updates on when the magic in the sky was going to take place. I opened the app and it looked so complex, there were graphs, maps and solar wind speeds. It felt a little beyond me, so I closed it and honestly never thought of it again.
Until my phone pinged on Sunday night (yes two days later) it was 9.22 pm and apparently, the northern lights were currently viewable in my area. OMG!! This is nuts, trying to decipher the app and what it all meant. Another friend messaged me to say she was currently watching the lights from up the road and they were amazing. Well, I just couldn't sit there, I messaged my daughter's friend's mum, and two minutes later they were in the car and we were on our way up to see the lights. and all I can say is WOW!
The synchronicities of life are pretty awesome, I could have deleted the app, and that conversation might not have happened if I didn't invite her in for a meal. WILD RIGHT?
Surrender. Life wants us to experience the magic. What is meant for us.
Not all of it is fucking awesome either, I've had a few knocks, where surrender has challenged me to step up to the table and face myself. Great life lessons but also a little uncomfortable. I've failed at things, I've had car accidents, I've made choices and humility is required to conquer. Now, I am going to let you in on a secret, MORE GOOD HAS COME FROM SURRENDERING TO LIFE THAN BAD.
The super bad stuff is usually all on my own doing. It's the force, the push, the I've got to make it happen because it should.
Now if you find yourself, thinking this is all a little crazy, that's cool, why don't you go and read the book? It honestly opened my eyes. I've now dropped the control act, even in my own home - why do things need to be a certain way all the time? Individuality is freaking amazing and I have come to accept that magic is available when we truly are present in the here and now.
TOP TIPS FOR SURRENDERING
1 - Try a YES instead of an immediate no
2 - Let go, tap into some Elsa vibes and let the outcome be what it is
3 - Know that it's safe for things to be different and that life always works out for us
4 - When we control things, we are manipulating the outcome
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Hope you have enjoyed this post, it's been a hot topic in my office - I now call it the magic (yes, channel those Elsa vibes) We all deserve a life that feels full.
