Surrender!
Releasing the grip, trusting the flow
Written by Jenna, Edited by Jess
On a recent Saturday, I was lying on a yoga mat at the end of my new favorite fitness class. After a challenging strength-based workout, the class closes with 15 minutes of guided meditation and breathwork. A unique combination that supports both body and mind!
To begin the breathwork portion of class, our instructor (the amazing Taryn!) typically invites the group to consider a mindset shift to anchor the practice. In this particular class, she introduced a word that always resonates and brings me pause. One that Jess and I often share with our students, in fact:
Surrender.
Releasing control, letting go of the grip, trusting the flow of life. A lot easier said than done, but a reminder I needed after a long week.
The lights were dim. Calming music was playing. The room had finally settled into stillness. The perfectly zen environment. And just as I started to settle into the moment…
A blaring car alarm went off right outside the studio. Loud. Consistent. Beep. Beep. Beep. Were we being punked?!
At first I was agitated and distracted, just wishing it would stop. Here we were, in a space intentionally designed for calm and stillness, being invited to surrender… and something completely out of our control was making that feel near impossible!
Like the pro that she is, Taryn acknowledged the irony. Even when we attempt to control our environment or the outcome, things we cannot control will still happen.
I was reminded of this in a recent conversation with a student debriefing an interview. He had done all the right things leading up - company research, networking, thoughtfully preparing his stories. A week had gone by with no updates, and understandably, the radio silence was making him antsy. His initial desire was to try to “fix” the situation - refresh the inbox, send another follow-up, rerun every interview answer in his head. But just like the car alarm being out of my control, the timing of hearing back is not something we can force. So we came back to that same word: surrender. Not as giving up on the process, but as a perspective shift. Releasing the need to control the outcome and redirecting energy toward what is within reach - the next conversation, the next company on his target list, the next step forward.
Back on the yoga mat, I embraced Taryn’s words. I tried to let go and come back to my breath.
And soon enough, the alarm stopped. Quiet returning to the room. A simple reminder that the “noise” - whether it’s a car alarm, a waiting game in the job search, or any uncertain moment in time - doesn’t last forever, even when it feels like it might.
Surrender isn’t about controlling when the discomfort ends. It’s about how we choose to be while it’s still there and trusting the flow in the meantime.
Next Steps
Reflect on one area of your life where you may be gripping too tightly. Ask yourself: What is within my control, and what might I need to surrender?