Do you keep yourself from being happy?

If you’ve read a book or a blog or watched a video on self-development and/or spirituality I guess you’ve come across the word „surrender“.

It’s usually used in connection with challenging situations, with loss, with negative thoughts, with difficult situations.

In working with my clients I’ve been thinking though, is it not equally important to surrender to everything that’s good in your life?

I’ve heard it so often:

• Am I allowed to be happy?
• Am I allowed to feel joyful when so many others can’t?
• Am I allowed to live a wonderful life and not feel guilty for it?
• Am I allowed to put energy and money into something that is solely for me?
• Am I allowed to explore what I truly want?

The tricky thing is that the answer can’t come from the outside, only if you truly know it deep within you can make peace with it.

• Are you afraid to surrender to the things that are good in your life because you feel guilty/ashamed/selfish/…?
• Are you afraid to surrender to the things that are good in your life because you might lose it again so better not really enjoy it now so that it won’t be too hard later?
• Are you afraid to surrender to great joy and feelings of happiness because you never know what’s waiting around the corner and the downfall could be worse if you’re blissful now?

There’s nothing wrong with all of this. In fact this is what „surrender“ usually is referred to: Surrender to any challenging and worrying thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Could it be that you’re driving through life with the brakes on because you don’t dare to surrender to the things that you could enjoy right now?

If you’re afraid to let go of the brakes and drive through life at the tempo that is perfect for you, I encourage you to start with little things.

If you’re sitting on a bench, the sunlight on your face, the wind gently breezing through your hair and you feel utter joy, try to hold this moment before any thoughts such as „ah it’s already late, I need to get going“ or „what am I doing, sitting idle in the park on a normal workday“ or „have I put all the things I need to buy on the groceries list?“ come rushing in.

Try to surrender to this moment.

If you’re leaving work early because you’ve accomplished your to do’s for the day and a friend has spontaneously asked you to meet at the new coffee shop that opened in town for a chat and you’re truly grateful that you simply can decide to do that today, try to hold this moment before any thoughts such as „you know, other people don’t have a choice at all!“ or „there’s actually a lot of work that I could have done now that I was so quick with my other tasks“ or „hopefully nobody sees me and asks why I’m not at work“ come rushing in.

Try to surrender to this moment.

It’ll be like a gentle training so that you can realize the power that comes from surrendering. To everything. The good and the challenging.

When you surrender to being happy and to feeling joyful, your whole energy shifts and everybody around you will feel it too.

This is how we can change this world to a better place.

Not by worrying more, not by feeling guilty more, not by feeling ashamed more, not by searching for more excuses, not by justifying more but by living and enjoying every moment more, by embracing all the things that are wonderful in your life and sharing them with others more, by being grateful for what you have more and by being respectful towards yourself and everybody around you more.

That is possible when you truly surrender to your own happiness. 

If you recognize yourself in my words and you struggle with where and how to start, I invite you to join Joy Academy. 

Joy Academy is a one year journey where you are guided to find what’s “missing” from your already pretty good life so that you can experience more joy and lightness every single day.

Let’s make this world more colorful, playful and joyful.