Two ways I access the Universal Law of Surrender

But if the lesson still comes up does it mean my method isn't working?

Isn’t it a bummer how our life lessons seem to repeat themselves? I wonder if that ever stops happening? What do you think?

I came across this essay I wrote for my paid subscribers two years ago and it made me laugh out loud and cry at the same time (an ugly combination!) Since my posts are now available for all subscribers it felt important for me to share this piece again. I promise you Hon that if you were here back then (thank you!!) and already saw it that you’ll get something out of reading it it again. I sure did!

This is where I go when I needs to figure out my lessons. I took this pic on my millionth walk up here! I’m a slow learner.

For many years pulling a card has been a tool to help me tap into my intuition. There was a time I got the “LET GO” card over and over, no matter how much I shuffled that pesky deck. Let go. It came up so often that I would experience a sinking feeling when I pulled it because I knew it would be accompanied by a ‘lesson’ delivered in the form of something difficult to get through. (I stopped pulling cards for a while after that, but it didn’t stop the lessons from showing up!).

It first happened one year just before Christmas. We were opening our gifts early because we were leaving on vacation. My brother had given my sons uncomfortably generous gifts without talking to me first, the gifts were over the top. My boys loved it! I wanted to call and ask him what the heck he thought he was doing but that morning my card said, ‘Let Go’, so I left it. We set off on our holiday and I was proud of myself thinking I had that lesson all figured out. Honeybun, let me tell you this was the wrong attitude! If we ever have the sense we have it all figured out it’s like asking God to bring on our next big lesson, which is exactly what happened.

This is the real card in all its shining glory! From the Wealth & Wisdom deck created by Jaden Sterling

The holiday was tricky from the start. One thing after another taxed my ability to stay sane and not get thrown in jail in a foreign country. It culminated with our vehicle being broken into upon our return to Canadian winter. Surrendering became much more difficult than simply not talking to my brother about his generosity. I was being called to let go of constant irritation, resentment, anger, and the need to control the outcome of it all.

I was highly unsuccessful.

Subsequently, I pulled that same card many times over the coming year. Control, intuition, expectation, allowing…for years they would get muddled up in my head. It’s been hard for me to sort out my conditioned response from the call of my soul, just as it’s a challenge to remove myself from the outcome of things I have no control over. Perhaps you find this tricky too?

I am working to invoke the Universal Law of Surrender. This life law, like all of them, is not some airy-fairy concept, rather it’s a concrete, learnable method, that will help us feel better as we move through our day. For me that’s the bottom line, what do I need to do to feel good?

My working framework of this law is twofold. First, it’s about managing expectations and control of the outcome. Second, it’s about releasing what comes up without needing to analyze the heck out of it.

With a lot of effort, I’ve been able to put together a few pieces of the constant human puzzle that involves letting go and listening to my inner voice. I have found these simple (not easy) practices make a big difference, but the thing is I (and possibly you too) have to actually DO them. Here’s how it works for me:

1. I have a few minutes of quiet time in the morning to allow my mind, heart, and soul some space. During this time, I sit in silence. I also give myself a reality check and remind myself what’s important to me and how I wish to show up in the world. This small practice helps me put a little room and healthy energy between the countless things that pop up in a day and my reaction. It’s in this gap that surrender shows up. I have to create space for it to exist.

2. Allow things to BE without the need to analyze why they are that way. This seems to work surprisingly well! I notice what’s happening inside of me at that moment and make an effort to get down to what I’m feeling. Then I simply notice that feeling and allow it to be there. It’s as if, in giving the feeling space, I’m allowing it to drift away. I remind myself I don’t need to figure out why I’m feeling that way immediately, I just notice it and let it be and, if necessary, I’ll figure it out later.

Don’t get me wrong Hon, I don’t mean surrender in the context of giving up or giving in. I’m talking about accepting what is happening as it’s happening (even if you wish it wasn’t, it IS) and softening into it. Perhaps it’s about gaining a wider perspective from which to act next. Why? Because when that’s my operating system I feel better, whereas when I’m rigidly holding my position, I get worked up and become a version of myself I don’t like too much.

There is no endgame. We don’t arrive at a certain point with it all figured out so we may as well learn how to feel good while we go about the difficult business of being human. Whatever is going on for you Sweetie please know that I stand with you. Even if I’m here and you’re there - we are two human hearts navigating it all.
Thank you for being here.

xoxo Donna

P.S. You know how it works in internetland - please hit the heart so Substack remembers I’m here. Also, I’d love to hear your thoughts on repetitive lessons!