Bit of a "No-Brainer"

It is without a doubt that the real reason I have put my trust in the universe is that I have begun to feel the effect of its help in all aspects of my life, from love to working life, from social encounter to the inner peace I feel much of the time. The more I invest in the trusting relationship, the more I seem to get out of it. My daily promise to it to surrender to its will reinforces this bond and sets the tone for what I can only describe is a superb relationship of love and trust, of infinite wisdom and benefit.

So, why do I make this daily promise to put its interests before mine and what does it mean to do that? The answer lies first in the fact that I am tired of pursuing a life that suits the “me” that was built on sand, not stone, the foundations for a shaky existence with no real substance to it. On top of that was the realisation that in making my daily offering to surrender to its will, I make a commitment that calls me into being at a whole new level, consistent with what I always dreamed I would be, not born of the false, usually negative images of myself acquired over decades of experiences.

So these perhaps quite selfish reasons for surrender lie at the root of the daily commitment to serve the universe and, in so doing, to in giving of oneself without condition. Beyond that lies the gradual realisation that as I do so, one hopefully reaps what one sows. I take on entirely new approaches to life and happiness, being contented by the seemingly simple things I now enjoy and being ready for something that really stretches me outside my comfort zone to allow me to reach new heights of being, of living and of experience. Surely that is worth something of itself?

What does it mean to make this commitment? It means listening very carefully to the clues about how to behave, based not on pleasure but on what feels right, not based on comfort, but on what feels appropriate even when it may seem daunting, even scary. As I left the comfort of my profession of 25 years standing to venture into the unknown as a writer in a new country that sometimes feels a million miles away from what I knew before, believe me I was often daunted, but I did it anyway, because it felt right to do so. To live up to the commitment (which on some level I still fail to do every day) is to face many challenges and triumphs, many ups and downs. Overall it is a wonderful thing I have done, but at times it severely tests me and as it does so I grow stronger and more confident, happier and more patient. It is not a path for the feint-hearted and what gets me through the fears and doubts is the very commitment: it makes me rise above the temptation to give up.

Did you think I was going to give some highly spiritual or religious notion of goodness and virtue to ensure a place in Heaven when I go “home”? Surely not. Beyond the spiritual exists a level of more earthy awareness and satisfaction that still makes it the right course for me to follow. Frankly, I am no angel but I like to hope I lead a decent life and I never doubt that I will be in a happier place when I return to wherever it is we come from when we are born, be it “heaven” or otherwise.

Long before I ever believed in the concept of the universal consciousness, when technically an atheist, I saw that it still made sense to lead a good life, to be decent to and considerate of others, because in so doing, my life on earth was made all the better for it, no matter what followed. It always seemed a bit of a “no brainer” for me, as much at 21 as now at 52. I simply “don’t get” why one would do otherwise. And the same is now true of why I surrender to the universe, to serve its will in whatever I do. It quite simply feels like the right thing for me to do, an entirely personal choice that may not be for everyone, but one with which I am very comfortable for all that it teaches and gives back to me every day. It has put my quest for self awareness and growth into fast gear and gives me real hope for an exciting if challenging future. In a world of little hope, I am therefore truly blessed by my commitment.