How to Surrender

I often wrestle with the tension between surrendering to the divine within us and taking control through the ego. There are times when I tell myself I am surrendering, yet deep down, I sense it is my ego pretending to let go while still holding the reins. Meditation, I believe, plays a vital role in helping us distinguish between the voice of the ego and the voice of the true self—the divine presence within us. This true self is God, and it is through this connection that we can navigate life with trust and faith, whether by surrendering to a situation or by acting decisively in the most effective way.

There is a delicate balance between surrendering and embracing self-responsibility. It is easy to fall into the trap of saying, I surrender; whatever happens is beyond me, absolving ourselves of accountability. Yet, there is wisdom in the saying: Work as though there is no God, but pray as though God is everything. This balance acknowledges the gifts of judgment and conscience that our Creator has given us to think critically and solve problems, while also recognizing when it is time to let go and allow God to guide the outcome.

Every day, we are faced with countless decisions, big and small. Some moments require us to act decisively, while others call for us to let go and trust in a higher power. The challenge is that our ego, often influenced by fear and uncertainty, cannot be trusted to make that distinction. To find clarity in these moments, we must cultivate faith and trust—qualities that allow us to act from a place of inner peace rather than fear.

There aren’t many tools for strengthening faith and trust, but I deeply believe that meditation and prayer are among the most effective. Through meditation, we can find clarity and a sense of peace. We know it is working when our behavior reflects greater calm and balance. Similarly, prayer becomes transformative when it shifts from asking for tangible things to seeking guidance and aligning with God’s will.

By surrendering through prayer, meditating for inner stillness, and seeking divine guidance, we can achieve a state where surrender and action coexist harmoniously. This is the balance between knowing and not knowing, certainty and uncertainty, action and surrender—like the harmony of yin and yang.

Surrendering does not mean shirking responsibility; rather, it means understanding that while some things may not be our fault, they are still our responsibility. It is through this balance of accountability and surrender that we can navigate life with grace and purpose.