The Surrender Experiment

Over the month of April, Jenny has asked me (Liz Ellery) to guest post / share my personal stories and practical advice (& of course journaling prompts) on how I allow good things into my life - and how you can too. 

The topics I’ll be talking about are Trust, Belief Systems, one of my Favourite Books on Surrendering and how I’ve learnt to Love Myself more. 

With that said, please enjoy my 4th and final journal article in my 4-part series…  

The Surrender Experiment" by Michael Singer is a memoir that chronicles Singer's journey from a young man seeking spiritual enlightenment to a successful entrepreneur and spiritual teacher. 

At its core, the book explores the concept of surrendering to life's flow rather than trying to control every outcome. Singer describes how he learned to let go of his fears and desires, allowing life to unfold naturally and guiding him toward unexpected opportunities and experiences.

I read this book at a time when I didn’t really understand the concept of surrendering. I’m someone who likes to have a plan or if not a plan, I know what I like and I’m not very good at bending / conceding to a different way of doing things. 

Michael talks a lot about quieting the mind and meditation, something again I’ve never felt I’ve been that great at but slowly I believe that I am getting better. In fact I can FEEL that I am. 

It’s a feeling of letting go. Of trusting. Of surrendering to a higher power that everything will be ok. 

This is not something that I believe can happen overnight. It’s a process of small steps.

Challenging your belief system. 

Doing the internal work, such as journaling. 

Noting when things you maybe catastrophize in your mind actually never turn out to be so bad. 

Noting the moments where you let go and you didn’t fall. 

Those moments where you trusted something would be ok and it was. 

I believe when we take stock of all the times good things have happened and seen them happen for others, we start to believe that they’ll keep on happening. 

You surrender to the will of God / the universe - choose whatever word fits best for you - and that they have your best interest at heart. 

Journal Prompt Ideas:

• What is something in your life that you believe to be true about you, that you surrender fully to and like magic it always seems to manifest? Eg. always getting the best car parking space. Where would you like this same thing to happen in other areas of your life? 

  For instance, I always get great parking spaces (that was my example above). I wanted to feel this way about getting clients, that I always have a steady stream of clients. I never used to believe this but now somehow through journaling, changing my belief system, mantras and surrendering - I always have a steady stream of clients. 

• Recall a time when you felt compelled to do something you initially didn't want to do, but a voice or intuition urged you to give it a try and miraculous things happened. Describe this story. Reflect on how trusting this inner guidance led to a positive outcome and what you learned from the experience.

• Explore your beliefs about trust and surrender in relation to life's unfolding. Identify any fears or doubts that may be blocking your ability to fully surrender to the flow of life. How can you cultivate a deeper sense of trust in the universe or a higher power? Describe practical steps you can take to strengthen your faith and embrace surrender in all areas of your life.

These journal prompts can encourage you to explore your own experiences with surrender and reflect on how you can incorporate this practice into your lives for greater fulfilment and spiritual growth.

I highly recommend Michael’s book—it's fantastic and easy to read. 

The reason why I love this book is because it was such an easy and engaging read. I much prefer reading personal development books when there’s a story - as in his life’s story - rather than the more practical based books. That being said, if you’re looking for a deeper dive into the practices he follows, check out his companion book, "Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself. I’ve heard great things about it and I’m sure Jenny’s read it! 

Here’s to seeing the miracles unfold within your life once you fully learn to surrender to life and all the joys it can bring you. 

BUY THE BOOKS…

The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life's Perfection 

Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself

I hope you’ve enjoyed my final instalment in my 4-part series for Jenny, look below to read my other articles and do share any comments below you’ve had on surrendering and any fun stories to help inspire Jenny’s audience. 

Enjoyed this post? Then you’ll love these posts from the same article series by Liz Ellery…