Acceptance Vs. Surrender

To be clear, I'm not talking about acceptance as synonymous with passive resignation. Nor am I speaking to surrender as giving in to an event or opponent. I'm thinking of acceptance and surrender as they apply to the art of living well.

Given that challenges and hardships are inevitable, acceptance and surrender are required if we are to thrive and flourish even as we struggle and strive.

But when do we practice acceptance rather than surrender and vice versa?

We conflate these terms because both acceptance and surrender require acknowledging life's victories and vicissitudes while not defining ourselves by them. After all, life doesn't happen to us. Life happens through us.

Acceptance is immediate and personal. It's the act of being present with what is happening without attaching our wellbeing to it. Acceptance is akin to acquiescence. It leads to equanimity in any circumstance.

Surrender is timeless and universal. It's the sense that what is happening is part of a process and continuum. To surrender is to go with, not against. Surrender cultivates tranquility and sees our situation in a greater context.

Acceptance and surrender are practices that can lead to an end of suffering and a greater sense of flourishing through the trials and triumphs of living into your potential and delivering on your promise.

How are you practicing acceptance and surrender today?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose

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