Motivation Mondays: SURRENDER
“Always say ‘yes’ to the present moment… Surrender to what is. Say ‘yes’ to life – and see how life starts suddenly to start working for you rather than against you.” Eckhart Tolle
Motivation Mondays: SURRENDER
The creative process is a process of surrender, not control. Julia Cameron
If we show people that fear isn’t actually the place that we have to surrender to, fear isn’t actually the thing that we have to answer to, but instead, it’s going in and loving people. Lauren Daigle
At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice. Maya Angelou
What is Surrender? True surrender is not merely giving up, it is a powerful process built on trust, love and perseverance that begins within. Our life, our existence is built on a foundation of surrender. Every day, we wake up, perform our actions, carry on our daily obligations without much thought about the energetic force that moves us forward throughout the day. We simply trust that all our faculties will function and meet us at the door of our experiences and … they do. We have surrendered to the process and that keeps us from endless worries. While choosing quotes for this post, I made sure to not pick any that spoke to the basic definition of surrender – to give in/up/over/on. Why? Because it is also an experience that shifts the spirit and can help us unpack the limits we place on ourselves … to surrender is to set ourselves free from limiting viewpoints and that is the focus of this post. The fictional story I share here on the subject was written by me in 2016. It is called – Surrender At The Door Within. I wrote and posted it on this blog as part of my response to a WordPress Prompt/Discover Challenge: The Story Behind a Door. I am adding it here with some minor changes. It is a contemplative story set in a village in West Africa. COME BACK FOR MORE!
A STORY – SURRENDER AT THE DOOR WITHIN by E. Obih-Frank
In an ancient village, many moons ago, the Elders held a bi-annual ritual that was considered both sacred and secret. Only men and women of great valor were invited to attend the Ceremony of the Nine Doors. Twice a year, members of the village would brace themselves for the news that came from the village crier at cock’s crow. The news was an invitation to specific members to join the procession of Elders who took that journey to the King’s palace for their initiation into the Order of the Ceremony of the Nine Doors. How did the selection process take place? Why were some men/women of valor chosen while others were cast aside as if their acts of courage were an embarrassment to the community? In the quiet of the night, as families huddled around the communal fire, roasting crickets and yams, the Elders whispered among themselves about this great ceremony that measured a member’s true dedication to the village.
For many years, Uzo, a local girl wise beyond her age, observed the comings and goings of the Elders. She longed to learn the secrets of the ceremony and particularly of the selection process. Her grandfather was a member of the Order but her father, who was a skilled hunter and coco yam farmer, hadn’t made the cut. Why? Why not? Whenever she ventured to ask the question at family gatherings in the Obi, her father would scold her for meddling in adult conversations.
“But Papa, you are a man of great valor and I don’t know why they won’t pick you!” She said to her father, one chilly Harmattan night as the family huddled together by the bonfire as the logs crackled sending smoke and sparkling ember into the air.
“It is not your place to query the decision of the Elders.” he scolded her gently. His voice softened a bit when his second wife repeated the same statement with anguish in her voice.
Grandpa cleared his throat and, for the first time in many years, weighed in. “It is not that your father is lacking in honorable qualities my child…” He paused and then continued, “You see, one must first serve without expectation of reward, and then, one must hold an intention that blesses and inspires the community.” Continued Below
“If you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly those moments.” Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Motivation Mondays: SURRENDER
Growth demands a temporary surrender of security. Gail Sheehy
The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial in any love story. It changes the relationship of two people much more strongly than even the final surrender; because this kiss already has within it that surrender. Emil Ludwig
A STORY – SURRENDER AT THE DOOR WITHIN by E. Obih-Frank
Uzo’s eyes lit up. Grandpa had never spoken about the Order before, and this bit of information puzzled her. Even her own father looked surprised. He was about to comment when he was silenced by the gentle touch of his first wife, Nne, Uzo’s mother.
“How can one serve without expectation …? Even during the harvest we look to reap the seeds we sowed.” Uzo said a tad loudly. Her boldness was always a sour point with her mother but, her grandfather admired that quality in her.
“Yes, my child … we do. However, we must let the seeds germinate as we tend to other demands around us. When we surrender our expectation of a bountiful harvest and participate in community activities that uplift others, our harvest will still bear fruit.” said Grandpa in a strong, persuasive voice.
“My Papa has done all those things so, why hasn’t he been chosen? Why does he have to be disgraced each season when the announcements go out? How long must he wait?” Uzo persisted.
Uzo’s Grandpa and father smiled. Her mother, Nne, on the other hand, reached over to silence her seemingly petulant child.
“No, Nne, let her speak. She is a wise child and her questions are lessons to add to the stirring pot of life.” Grandpa admonished his daughter-in-law, and she sat back and let Uzo be. He continued his teachings for the gathering of family members and neighbors who showed up to listen and learn, as they sat around the bonfire on that cold, autumn night.
“My child, in our village, we follow the teachings of the nine virtues: Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Self Reliance, Industriousness, and Perseverance. Each virtue has many parts and as a man/woman explores and expresses an understanding of each one, the village observer notes their progress through the Griots who then pass the name on to the other Elders in the Order. Once the first eight are mastered, the test to master the ninth virtue begins…. Without perseverance, even the most talented will falter and fall. But Perseverance alone is not enough because many fall victim to the voice of doubt that creeps in after many moons of waiting, hoping and longing…”
“If there is something more to learn beyond perseverance, what would it be, Grandpa?” Uzo interrupted her Grandpa excitedly. Finally, she thought, an answer to the secret would be divulged tonight and she’d be able to put her curiosity to bed and help her Papa join the village Elders for the next procession. Even her Papa was pleased as he often wondered too, but held his opinions close to his chest. Continued Below
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08/06 – Friendship Day, World Indigenous People Day,
08/13 – International Youth Day
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“It took me a while to learn the true meaning of patience and surrender, but I have finally accepted that healing doesn’t happen on our schedule. It doesn’t have a clock or a calendar.” Yolanda Hadid
Motivation Mondays: SURRENDER
It takes a childlike heart to feel the promptings of the Spirit, to surrender to those commands, and to obey. That is what it takes to be nourished by the good word of Creator. Henry B. Eyring
Surrender to life itself and you’ll just be rewarded with so many things. And I’ve been rewarded so many times, in so many mysterious ways. So I have no reason to be disappointed with anything. Jason Mraz
A STORY – SURRENDER AT THE DOOR WITHIN by E. Obih-Frank
Grandpa smiled and, picking up the fire pick, he stirred the burning embers to get them fired up again. Everyone in the Obi was silent. You could cut the cold night air with a knife. The crickets stopped their song, and even the hoot, hoot of the night owls seemed to fade away. Everyone waited with bated breath for Grandpa’s next insight. He knew what they wanted and he let them sit and simmer. They all needed to digest the pithy nuggets of wisdom he had shared, to stew in it a bit, and he would speak only when the words came fully to his throat from his heart. There was no other way to speak.
After what seemed like an interminable length of time, Grandpa smiled and looking around at each eager face staring at him across the bonfire, he stared back and sent each one a blessing filled with healing and good intention. Again, he spoke.
“My wise child, beyond perseverance is surrender. When we wake up in the morning, we offer our oblations to the ancestors without much thought of how we got out of bed or how we walked to the outhouse to relieve ourselves of last night’s feast. We perform our actions because we have surrendered our innate desire to control them. They have become second nature and so all goes accordingly.” Grandpa paused, picked up his metal cup and poured the dregs of palm wine into the now smouldering fire. He mumbled a prayer and continued.
“So, my child, by the same token, Perseverance and Surrender are twins on the road to true, inner freedom. When your Papa reaches that point of no return, the last door will open from within and he will no longer be bound by the dictates of the Village Crier… When that moment arrives, the ancestral divination of his membership in the Order … or not, will be realized. When we take the time to pay attention to what is in front of us, our world view and opportunity for growth will expand. Some have eyes but cannot see! Let us all be grateful for the here and now and allow the unfolding of life to continue.” Grandpa rubbed his hands together and, standing up, announced it was time to turn in for the night.
At that moment, Uzo, her father, her mother, and the gathering of family and neighbors got the message. Being present in the actions and activities of the here and now carried enormous gravitas and that was enough for them.
“Good night Grandpa. Thank you!” Uzo finally spoke and then followed her parents to their hut for the night. A new day awaited and before the early morning cock crowed, they needed to get their rest.
READ: Musings: 10 Lessons On Being Present & Letting Go…
Inspiration: The Story Behind The Door
Reflections: Just Sit & Be Still…
Inspiration: The Great Secret…
Any Zen Antics stories via
Positive Motivation Tip: Surrender to the great intelligent guide within… it will never lead you astray.
Motivation Mondays is open to anyone who wishes to share a motivational quote, photo, personal challenge or a post that encourages others to start the week on an upbeat note.
Basic Instructions: Each week, I will have a motivation word to help us create a response. (See listed words for the months above/below)
Email address: You may email or share your post as a comment and I will add it to the round-up of related posts. email it to: contact(@)mirthandmotivation(.)com
Category tag: – Share your post using Motivation Mondays
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Dedicated Page: There is a dedicated page for Motivation Mondays. It has the same instructions and will include other helpful tools and a link to the round-up
Facebook Page: MotivationOnMondays Join our page and add your post and/or any motivational piece you think will be helpful to others.
Facebook Community: We have a Facebook community forum to compliment the page. It serves as another way to share uplifting posts and thoughts. Please join in and add your voice.
Badge: – I created a fun badge using PicMonkey’s free photo editing tools. You can create your own, use WordPress’ integrated tool on your blog or you are welcome to use mine. (see dedicated page)
Tag: – Motivation Mondays
Hashtag: – #MotvnM
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PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS:All Photos: SURRENDER, Door, With the Flow, Flow via Pixabay, AND/OR via Wikipedia…
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
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Extremely thought-provoking story to illustrate alternate meanings of surrender, told in such an engaging way. This is one concept that perhaps we all have a slightly different, yet equally valid, understanding.
I love all the positivity in this text ! such a great story thank you for sharing !
I love this advice, thank you. The Jason Mraz quote really resonated with me today. Sometimes you just need to give it up and let the universe take control.
A beautiful post. Exactly what I needed to read to feel motivated. I shall look forward to seeing more posts in the future. Thank you 🙂
Thank-you so much for posting this! Just what I needed to hear today. Thank you for posting and allowing us to start our day right
Such a beautiful post! I really connect to that quote from Yolanda Hadid as well. I struggle with a chronic illness and learning to let go and trust has been a huge part of my process.
Great story. It teaches me a lot. Yes sometimes you need to surrender and sometimes not, the trick is to get when and why do either.
this was such a good read! and a worthwhile lesson at the end! I love this!
I really enjoyed your stories. I try to live in the moment. It can be hard since I have so many responsibilities, but I want to enjoy every moment with my family.
Some have eyes but cannot see. So true!! I enjoy these motivational Monday’s posts.
Very interesting post. Seems like you have some intristuc ideas. Keep it up
Surrender and acceptance are so hard, but so worth it. I find that when I just accept what is and surrender to the moment things flow much more easily than when I’m just in hustle mode. But, it’s definitely a practice and something I have to remind myself often.
I totally agree that surrendering does not have to be negative. In fact, it can often help us let go of things that do not serve us so we can experience the best parts of life fully!
I’m out of words after reading this, just one quote for you, “Surrender to what is. Say ‘yes’ to life and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.” ~Eckhart Tolle.
LOVE the reminder to be grateful for the present moment, it is such an important thing to remember!!
These pictures are beautiful, especially the volcano. My first thought of surrender is giving up but after have a good read, the surrender has a deeper meaning. I totally agree with the surrender quote from Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
These are great virtues to live by. I’m not so great at surrendering, though!
I’m going to follow you. I definitely need more motivation
!
This is all very inspiring. Thank you for the reminder!
What a powerful word! SURRENDER! As a Christian I say “Let Go and Let God in my life”. I surrender all to thee! Trust in God.
I love Eckhart Tolle, the reading is so positive and motivating.
Wonderful story, very well written!
We love your opening collage of say yes to the present moment. Those pics are so on point.
Surrendering is hard for many people. Thank you for pointing out that surrendering is not giving up.
Loving all of these motivational tips. This Motivation Monday is a fabulous idea!
I love all the quotes you picked out, especially the ones about growth and healing. Such a lovely story too.
I’m a yoga teacher. Often during class, I’ll remind students to surrender to their bodies. In yoga that means meeting your body where it is and accepting it. I think there are a lot of similarities here.
Very enlightening post. Sometimes, I feel myself surrendering to the harshness of life that I never stopped anf thought about it the perspective you presented. Thanks for providing us such a great read. I could really use a ton of motivation right now.
Nice post and I do believe that surrendering is not an act of giving up because for me, it is an act of braveness and acceptance.
I love the idea of surrendering to the moment. Many times, we are so busy with trying to achieve an objective, it feels like we are battling the day, surrendering might just get the job done easier.
Wow! I’ve now started to look at surrender from a very different perspective. Your posts are truly motivating. They make you think about various aspects of life. Loved reading the Uzo’s story.
I guess in my previous comment i wrote here your quote. Sorry for that. Surrender happens when we know that we don’t know anything anymore and certainly not anything that can help us. It arrives when we know that we cannot think or see our way through where we are. In true surrender, we don’t know if what’s to come will be better or worse, more comfortable or even less. All we know is that we can’t do it this way, the way we’ve been doing it, a moment longer. Surrender happens when it can’t not happen.
Surrender itself is easy; it’s the path to surrender that’s excruciating. But what’s amazing is that when surrender does arrive, it is accompanied by a great sense of ease and peace.
This is such a lovely post. I surrender to life and I say yes to it. Great message here.
Being present is incredibly important. I don’t believe that it’s always easy, but it is worth investing time into as it’s so beneficial x
I really enjoyed this story that you shared. It reminded me of my grandfather, who had lots of interesting stories and nuggets of wisdom to share.
I said yes to life at the end of last year and so many good and exciting things started to happen since then.
Such a thought provoking post and I really enjoyed your story. Love the idea of “Motivation Mondays”.
I like the idea of surrender as being built on trust. I’ve never looked at it this way before. Always good to get a different perspective on things.
I loved reading this about surrender. Such a great point that surrender is much more than giving up.
Life is precious. I read a quote yesterday that summed it all up. “When people say life is hard”, I’m tempted to ask, “compared to what?”
My husband and I have totally surrendered to our current situation, as we are just laughing and laughing about everything going on. Surrendering to me is NOT STRESSING OUT and just letting life take it’s course. Stress accomplishes absolutely nothing, so what’s the point?!
Always say yes to the present moment. I totally agree with that.
such great words. I have to put this one in practice and work on surrendering. I always enjoy reading this posts, they enlighten me on the daily
I totally agree! You have to embrace what you can;t change. My assistant and I have a saying at work to “embrace the suck” lol. No matter how bad a situation is, you have to make it the best it can be- no complaining you embrace.
sometimes it’s healthy to surrender to our weakness too, to our fragility. We must accept it and embrace it as a part of ourselves, to be loved as all the rest. sometimes surrendering is the supreme shape of strength
I do love everything about this post. Sometimes it is better for me to surrender rather than to keep on fighting without any assurance of winning it.
Very enjoyable, I could almost hear the fire crackling as grandpa was stirring the embers. Very well written.
Such a great message that came in time today. I recently had to surrender working with certain clients. I tried to make everyone happy on their time but it was not beneficial or going towards the growth of my business. Appreciate the post.
This was such an interesting read. Thank you for helping!
Lovely post. 🙂 However, I found it quite funny to read that quote saying “Always say yeas to the present moment … Surrender to what it is.” Well, the present moment I’m super sick at home and fighting the comment some blogs.
“Some of eyes but cannot see” this cannot be more true! I had never thought of “surrender” under that angle but after reading your post it completely makes sense.
OMG! I just love your idea of Motivation Mondays and the themes of the week!!! So creative and all so true!!! So good to always stay uplifting!
Great reflexion, as usual, and I liked the story very much, it made me think in a way I never approached my life before.
I enjoyed reading this story and liked the message x
Laura
How beautiful is the present moment! If only more people embraced it. Thank you for sharing this gem <3
That is such a beautiful story of a Grandpa telling the virtues to a child. And pointing out there is something beautiful about surrender. The knowing you cannot control the future and so you just surrender to what is going on with the realization that you will do good in the meantime.
i always wonder from where do get these stories from. Reallly motivating to read
What a beautiful and compelling story of surrender! It’s not a concept I think of often. In fact, I think it’s a rarity in our modern era. We always want to CONTROL. I think we’d all be a lot healthier mentally if we realized we need to let go sometimes.
It was really interesting to read a topic like this. Such a great motivational and made me think of the purpose of surrender
Surrender,for me is to accept move forward, be open to possibilities. 🙂
What a wonderful post, always so important to surrender to achieve your goals.
I would like to be able to surrender in trust of other people. Right now.. I am trying just not to give up a lot of the time. Hopefully better days are ahead.
Wonderful story! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thoughts like this makes me feel motivated and give energy to be positive towards my work
Your story is very wise and beautifully written. I have to admit that I never thought of surrender being a virtue, but always meant giving up. I will think about it differently from now on.
I really like this outlook on surrender. I’ve never really thought about it this way. I surrender to life, enjoying it and loving it more.
Oh Elizabeth I loved your story. You have such a beautiful way with words. I will have to read it again so the message can really sink in, surrendering is not something I seem to do willingly
Oh Thank you dear Michelle!
This is really deep. As I said in the FB post, surrender is meaning giving up and going back to the US. Giving up easily. I can’t do that.
Letting go is hard. It requires faith and trust, and sometimes it’s hard to fully give into those things. thanks for the motivation!
Surrendering is not easy when you are a power control person. It takes time and patience.
what a great timing to find this post! I am currently to surrender and say yes to life! It is hard but I will get there.. Thanks for the reminder 🙂
I like the quote “always say yes to the present moment.” Recently I read that the last 75 years of your life feel as long as your first 25 years, and this has really made me want to start living in the present.
Surrendering to your surroundings is a must when you are trying to have new experiences. This was a great read
I like the thinking be hind this. I never would have thought as surrender in a positive light.
Interesting. Surrender can be so difficult for so many, but it can also be so very rewarding! It usually has to be a conscious choice to be effective. Interesting story.
Love this motivational boost. Yeah you should never give in and always keep spirits high and keep going x
Monday’s are seriously the hardest days for me. But you just have to get through it and the rest of the week flies
What a remarkable and inspiring story. Thanks for sharing!
I agree that when we surrender we rid ourselves of limiting viewpoints. This I think puts us on the road to living up to our potential as human beings.
I love this message. It’s so important to be in the present and not think/plan too far ahead. Enjoy the moment at hand.
I know I need to become much better at living in the moment. This post really opened my eyes to what it is like to ‘surrender.’ -Tonya Morris
The pictures used are beautiful. I agree that if we live in the moment and surrender to it, we live a richer life.
Thanks for sharing this amazing motivational post. I always embrace my reality. The past is past and that I cannot change, but the present, It’s up to me to decide.
Surrender is definitely not about giving in. It’s about knowing whens best to change your views and ideas x
Since I have started to surrender, yes, things are going better!
great advice!! just learn some cool things!!
I can’t seem to get past this first line : “True surrender is not merely giving up, it is a powerful process built on trust, love and perseverance that begins within”. What a strong statement that really gets people to think. I think if we really started to look at surrender like this, then we won’t look at it as a negative, but more as a positive and a great stepping stone. We really need to start trusting the process and realize that it really is a blessing.
This sounds wonderful. Surrender is so important. I love the Lindbergh quote!
I can’t say enough yes to this. I feel it especially in morherhood .
Wow this is wonderful to read & it is a true motivation… I loved the story well written and I could feel the sensations inside me while reading. I am spiritual person and the values mentioned in the story are truly important to me. Looking forward to more such inspirational blogs from you.
Ooooo Thats a good one. Surrender….something I need to remind myself of each and every day. Surrender to the day and what is!
What a powerful read! Preservance and Surrender are definitely fraternal twins. They stand strong by having their own identity but combining them together it takes a moment to tell them apart. Love this and I appreciate it
I like the idea of surrendering to the world around you. It probably does help us stay in the moment more.
The topic of surrender has come up for me a few times recently. It is not always easy, but it is necessary.
This reminds me to remember to live in the present and to not worry about things I cannot control. I really like the Tolle quote!
Such a wonderful story! Also, what a valuable message to be taken from it. I like the idea of surrender not being about giving up
” (…) However, we must let the seeds germinate as we tend to other demands around us. When we surrender our expectation of a bountiful harvest and participate in community activities that uplift others, our harvest will still bear fruit (…).” Love love love this and so many other deep meaningful words and sentences that brought me so much peace. Thank you for sharing this, as always, your posts allow me to meditate. Thank you.
Thanks Liza… appreciated.
It is so important to let go and surrender. Thank you for all the reminders. 🙂
It is so important sometimes to surrender to life – sometimes you are rewarded in the most beautiful ways. Your story was very well written and really captured the essence of true surrender.
I love that surrender at first can sound like a negative word but on reflection can be a positive word.
Beautiful short story! I loved how you not only included the value of surrender in it, but you also wrote in such an atmospheric way that I felt transported to West Africa and right into Uzo and her family’s conversation.
agreed! I’ve been trying not to fight things so much but accepting them as they are not as I want them to be. not always easy but it’s definitely less anxiety inducing!
I love all the inspiration you provided here. I believe in the power of faith and believing that all things will work well. 🙂
I never really thought too much about surrender but I love how you explain it. I like how surrender is more than about giving up
This is such a very well written post and you give a different point of view and meaning about the word surrender and thank you for sharing this with us.
Very deep message. Surrendering and saying yes can only lead to greater opportunities and open doors.
We need to let go and surrender to moments more, especially before they pass us by or compound and make us fell out of control. Realisation is a powerful mindset.
What an inspirational post. Thanks you!
It’s always fun to read these posts. It’s awe inspiring.
This is such a great post and very encouraging also. This is surely a great motivator especially the wisdom behind it.
Making sure to surrender in your life and within the moment is so important. Stop thinking about everything!
I surrender everything to god and trust the Universe With my Dreams.For me to move past the sadness, shame, and need to control, I had to surrender to hope and let go of my plans. I know my time will come and everything will be alright.
What a beautifully woven story to illustrate what it means to surrender. Surrender is definitely not an easy task to master, however, once one does they can live a more purposeful and fulfilling life.
I continue to comment on your posts, but my comments never show up, so I am at a loss as to why I am commenting 🙂
This is a great read. Thank you for sharing!
I totally agree we should live in the present who knows what tomorrow will bring.
These stories are so interesting. I enjoyed reading them, thanks for sharing this.
Surrendering to the present moment is so important! So much of life goes by if we don’t. Such a good story too.
The Grandpa in the story reminds me of my late grandfather, who told us lots of great stories when we were kids. My siblings and I love and miss him dearly.
nice one..i was enjoying the article while reading..nice experience
This stories are really touching and inspiring. Loved the positive message and how it helps to see life from a new perspective!. Thank you, for taking the time and effort to make this great post.
Wow! That’s a lot of food for thought. Definitely something worth mulling over.
Wow you are such an amazing writer Elizabeth, you always manage to grip me and leave me wanting to read more! So inspiring
What an interesting concept, and love the motivations behind surrender. Multifaceted perspective on getting the most out of life experiences
Nice post, Thanks for sharing it, really likes the Quote and agreed with that.
xo Corina
So basically it is accepting what we actually are… Or any sort of acceptance … Be it our own failure or a loss of someone or something… Yes accepting the way life come to us make it so much easier
I am learning a lot reading your post about surrender. Thank you, and very inspiring 😀
All these stories give me the feels! You’re such a great storyteller! Such a great quality to have.
Surrendering can be tough, but it shows great strength when you are able to do so. There’s beauty in doing it as well.
I just listened to a song named Surrender by Mercy River – I love the message that sometimes you need to step back and let Jesus take the wheel.
Interesting post that is very thought-provoking!
Sometimes it is hard to say yes. I have found that when I started gentle parenting I correct myself to say yes more often.
Such an interesting story. Lessons hidden in this story especially nine virtues are something we often forget in our daily struggles. Really motivational.
Life is so much more enjoyable when you live in the now. If you are always worrying about the past or future you will miss what is happening. I like your way of summing this up.
I sure need some motivation right now. Great post!
This is such an interesting perspective- good to consider how life might be different and how we might accept things better with a different worldview.
Thanks for this motivation. My biggest takeaway is “My wise child, beyond perseverance is surrender.” That alone resonates with me and what I have gone through in life.
This is so powerful! It’s so easy to let life slip you by
Couldn’t agree more with the notion that we need to surrender and say yes to more so that we can go on the adventures that life shows us
Saying “YES” to the important and exciting things in life is such a great thing to try to do! These are ‘life rules’, so to speak, that I always try to live by.
I life for your a motivational Monday’s. They are always right on point! And being in the moment is something I need to focus on.
Your motivational Monday is really set my week and the right direction! Thank you so much!
So much to think about. I’ve never thought about surrendering this way.
Saying yes to the moment is so important in life. We should try to add spontaneity to life. It makes it more fun.
The grandfather in the story reminds me a lot of my late grandfather. He used to tell us lots of amazing stories when we were kids, and my siblings and I loved him dearly for that, and much much more.
I think it’s a constant process of surrendering. IN my case, I have surrendered my life several times to God and then I would do things my way all over again. It sucks, because my life loses direction and meaning.
True one must not give up and continuously have the determination to push through. I have always been reluctant in doing so but recently learnt that nothign is impossible. I have always not taken by capabilities seriously and taken it lightly but realized that if you put in the hard work you will be rewarded.
It’s not easy to give up control but sometimes that is exactly what is needed. Thanks for sharing
Good reminders. Thanks for sharing
I always truly enjoy your motivational posts and beautiful pictures as well. Thanks for sharing another fabulously written post that makes me smile 🙂
I love your story! How creative. I wish I could write like that, but you made a great point without overdoing it. <3
I adore that quote from Jason Mraz – it is so true that we are rewarded in life in ways that may not be totally obvious to begin with. Such a powerful message
I love your motivation Monday posts. I love the message behind this one. My favorite quote from this post is: “If you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly those moments.” Anne Morrow Lindbergh I love that quote because as a mom this is something I do my best to do because the moments I have with my kids is precious. I am learning to let life take us wherever it wants and trust that things will work out.
Glad it spoke to you TY!
I love reading this post and you give me a new understanding about the word surrender. Yes to live and live the present.
“Perseverance and Surrender are twins on the road to true, inner freedom.” Another inspiring story! Thanks for sharing.
One must learn to surrender and can surrender in amy ways. surrender to God for the divine path, surrender to nature for love, surrender to self for health benefits. Its a lovely motivation read.
Great motivational post! Keep on living in the moment!
A great story on perseverance and surrender. Both plays an important role in our personal growth as you’ve said in the story that these two are twins on the same road. We set ourself free from limiting viewpoints allowing our life to unfold…
You really do need to surrender control over the moments if you are going to find happiness and peace in life. Far too often we want to control things, and we cannot control them which leads to unhappiness. The moment of surrender will eventually bring happiness.
This is such an interesting perspective! I’ve never thought about the term surrender in this context before.
Wow thanks so much for sharing! It was an absolute delight to read through.
Interesting thoughts on surrender and it’s various angles. Personally, I attribute the idea of surrender to trusting in God and his plans and provision.
So timely, Elizabeth. I am totally about to self destruct. I am tired, scared, upset, angry all at the same time. I think God has so much trust in me that I am that strong. I am not, I am barely able to face everyday. At this point in time, I am surrendering to His plans for me.
Hang on… it will get better in Jesus’ name.Amen
This is something that has come up numerous times in conversations. I’m such a control freak. But we truly do have to surrender that control at times in order to learn, grow and prosper.
That quote is so motivating and true x
Laura
I love these motivation Monday posts! I look forward to them! I am trying as my children grow to say yes to every moment.
a very thought provoking read
Such a beautiful story, I love the volcano photo, as well as the rest of the symbolism.
love this post! i try become a “yes man” myself, trying to say yes to opportunities.
I like focusing on the idea of surrender being a positive thing (under the right circumstances). In particular, I would enjoy the idea of surrendering to creativity in my quilting and crafting!
I think surrender can be a positive thing. Sometimes its way to keep your life harmonious.