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3 Ways I’m Saying Yes to Life
The mindset to make life happen “for” you, not “to” you.
The famous serenity prayer is doing wonders for my life: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
You don’t have to be religious to apply it.
The ability to recognise and accept what is, stop fighting reality and know how to apply wisdom when it matters changes everything. Why waste time, energy or your short life on everything you can’t move, change, resist, push, influence or do anything about?
One of the most successful investors of all time, Warren Buffet, said something that shifted my reality about how to spend time and energy. He said, “Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.”
Surrender, letting go, and acceptance are three ways I approach life. They help me separate needs from wants and essentials from non-essentials.
Surrender
“To some people, surrender may have negative connotations, implying defeat, giving up, failing to rise to the challenges of life, becoming lethargic, and so on. True surrender, however, is something entirely different. It does not mean to passively put up with whatever situation you find yourself in and to do nothing about it. Nor does it mean to cease making plans or initiating positive action. Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life.” — Eckhart Tolle
The first way I’m saying yes to life is to surrender. That’s it. Surrender. Not in the sense of giving up, but flowing with life: There’s a huge difference.
We’re taught to control things. To fight against the flow. Push, pull, grip. We spend so much energy trying to make life bend to our will. And most times it backfires. We end up stressed, anxious, restless.
So, I’m learning to surrender. What I resist will continue to disturb my peace. Instead of fighting the flow, I’m leaning into uncertainty. I’ve made peace with what I can’t change.
