The Principle of Surrender

The Principle of Surrender also known as the law of allowing is premised on the theory that what we resist persists. In as much as this is debatable, events tend to unfold for our own growth and resistance is tantamount to digging a hole deeper when inside a hole. Whereas it’s vital to prevent others from running roughshod over you and using you as a doormat, it is equally important to know when to lie low and let the law of allowing work in your favor. In the final analysis, even if others take advantage of your good nature, the law of karma will conspire against them at one point or the other. Therefore, err on the side of caution and let the principle of surrender prevail. After all, the easiest way to get up on your feet is to get down on your knees.

Every open eye is not seeing and every closed eye is not sleeping is an African proverb which holds true. Things are not always as they appear to be. My colleague once fell prey to the allure and irresistible beauty of an inanimate object that almost ended his life. In his early working days his role entailed the use of a motorcycle. The one he had was old and rusty. Therefore, he placed a request to be issued with a new one. He had an ear on the ground and discovered there was an unused brand new motorcycle in one of the other stations. Full of energy and enthusiasm, he made his way there and encountered a roadblock. He focused on the tiger’s beauty and missed the scorpion.

The administrator declined his request but so determined was he to have his way that he invoked the use of all his connections at his disposal. How dare he be stopped? After unrelenting pressure, the administrator caved in and handed him the keys. He hastily signed the release documentation which was akin to appending his signature on his own death certificate. Within no time, he hit the road. No sooner had he joined the highway than he ran into headwinds. As he was heading downhill, the brakes jammed. To avoid hitting a car and ploughing into several people, he opted to hit a stationary item to break his momentum. As luck would have it, he lived to tell the tale and came out unscathed but was shaken to the core. Had he allowed the situation to be, all this would not have transpired neither would we have content to write about and learn from.

I once set out on a journey and hit some turbulence before the actual flight took off. Upon reaching the check in counter, a few of us were summarily informed that the flight was overbooked. The aggrieved individuals milled around in a circle and blew hot steam. I stood on the periphery and watched everything unfold. Tempers flared and everyone wanted to be heard. Big names and big words were thrown around ever so casually. Not a second would pass before you hear the words court and lawsuit in close pursuit. In as much as I was upset, I accepted the situation and my mind quickly switched to solution mode. There was no use for crying over spilt milk.

While pondering on the next course of action, a staff member passed by as she was making her way back to the counter after taking a short break. I approached and engaged her in polite conversation seeking a way forward. She told me to hang on for a second. Barely a minute later, amidst the noisy confusion, I was handed a boarding pass and off I went. Apparently nature seemed to have conspired in my favor. As soon as I got the pass, snooping for details as to how it happened mattered less at that point in time. When a leopard is chasing you, you don’t bother to find out whether it is male or female or do you?

This week while going through my documents, I stumbled upon my high school certificate and one thing stood out like a sore thumb. Whoever determined the order of the results must have had a deep sense of humor because the second last and the last item were clear opposites; a visual demonstration of the law of polarity. The subject of this piece though is the last item that depicts the law of allowing. I count myself lucky in that I have to look no further than my high school certificate to see the natural laws of the universe at play.

As I was just about to join high school, my father implored upon me to select Drawing and Design as one of the optional subjects. I was naïve, obedient and indifferent hence I obliged. He took me to the front, side and back of the house. Afterward, when we got back inside the house he told me to recall the views and draw what the house looks like from all the views. From his perspective, that is essentially what the subject was all about. What he failed to mention was that there was more to it than what met the eye. I jumped right in with both feet.

Two years later, the teacher felt my performance in the subject was sub-par and I was still indifferent at that point. I was dropped like a hot potato and compelled to take Agriculture instead. My father blew hot steam when he got wind of the new development. He wasted no time and sought an audience with the principal. However, the principal declined the request. Thirty-odd days later, the school administration finally caved in to my father’s unrelenting pressure and I was begrudgingly let back in to the design class during which time the rest of the team were much further ahead in terms of syllabus completion. I had a herculean task ahead and my work was cut out for me to play catchup. Shortly thereafter, I was deeply engrossed in the coursework that was up to my eyeballs.

The end result proved one of two things; either the subject was not my cup of tea or I never did manage to catch up. Sadly, the D grade in the subject will always remain a permanent fixture in my high school certificate. A constant reminder that in as much as persistence is good, sometimes it’s good to take the back seat and take a cue from the universe. I know this is easier said than done. The rest of my grades were skewed towards the opposite end of the spectrum except this one.

It so turns out that the general performance of the team was weak as the leading student scored a C. I must have been at the tail end though I might never get to ascertain this unless I make the trip to the archives and dig the trenches. To what end though is the big question. I deem it fit to let sleeping dogs lie. Send a child where he wants to go and you will see his best pace is an African proverb which was negated in this instance. In closing, Law of allowing also entails allowing others to live their own life guided by their passion and what sparks their own engine in motion. Therefore, live and let live but if someone walks into an open pit mine don’t hesitate to lend a hand.