Today, I’m excited to introduce a new format for our episodes! Once a month, I plan to discuss personal development books I’ve read, driven by three key reasons:
- To potentially inspire you to read these books.
- To offer insights for application, even if you opt not to read them.
- To aid my integration of the lessons into my life.
Our first book is The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life's Perfection by Michael A. Singer. This book is a memoir, but to me, it’s also a way to show and express what it means to let go of personal preference and surrender to the flow of life. His journey is so inspirational and I am excited to share my insights with you.
Book overview:
- The experiment begins with him deciding to let go of personal bias and preference and allow life's flow to guide his decisions.
- His experiment led to deeper connections and unexpected opportunities.
- Surrendering encompasses a few key aspects:
- Trusting in a greater process and purpose.
- Active engagement.
- Emotional openness.
- Aspects of letting go:
- Release attachments.
- Healing and renewal.
- Personal decision.
My takeaways:
- The power of surrender
- Living beyond our personal preference
- The role of meditation
- Viewing challenges as opportunities
- Having inner peace no matter what is happening in the outer world
Favorite quotes:
- “The natural ups and downs of life can either generate personal growth or create personal fears. Which of these dominates is completely dependent on how you view change.”
- “Instead of viewing the flow of life as something to be controlled and manipulated, I would relax and see it as something to be experienced and harmonize with.”
- “I saw that if I wanted life to be a certain way, my preferences were not going to make me happy, they were going to make me miserable.”
- “Life doesn't just randomly fall apart now and then, it falls apart exactly when it needs to in order to give us the opportunity to grow and evolve.”
- “I've had to be willing to let go of what I wanted and open to what was being presented.”
How I'm applying it in my life:
- Turning my daily practice of breathwork and meditation into a devotion.
- Embrace new opportunities while staying in line with my values.
- Daily mindfulness activities.
- Letting go of resistance and discomfort.
- Continue to view challenges as growth opportunities.
Journal prompts:
- What areas of your life are you trying to control the most? What fears are driving this need for control?
- Try to recall a time when something didn't go as planned, but turned out better than expected. What did this teach you about the outcomes of surrendering?
- What does surrendering mean to you? How does it differ from giving up?
- What are your thoughts on viewing challenges as growth opportunities? Do you like this idea or do you feel resistant to it? If you feel resistant, can you identify a current challenge in your life and look at it from the perspective of how this could be a growth opportunity for you?
- How can you incorporate the practice of surrender into your daily life? Are there any specific rituals or reminders that you can set for yourself?
Books discussed in this episode:
The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer
The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
Connect with Brittny:
Instagram: @brittnyking_
Website: www.brittnyking.com
Email: hello@brittnyking.com
