Motivational Poems & Quotes

Experience Calm Surrender

Calm surrender is a term I use to describe the process of "letting go" around the home and elsewhere. Simply put, it means surrendering, with grace and humility, to the chaos of life. It's a form of acceptance, of being okay with what is, of ending the struggle.

    Often, we struggle against aspects of life that are largely beyond our control–noise, confusion, comments we don't approve of, lost items, rudeness, imperfection, negativity, broken pipes, clogged drains, whatever. We complain, fret, and commiserate. Yet, when you add up all this frustration, the end result is always the same: the things we are frustrated about remain as they are.

    Calm surrender is not about giving up. Nor is it about being apathetic, lazy, or not caring. Instead, it's about appropriate acceptance, being willing to let go of our insistence that the event in our lives be any certain way or different than they actually are. The wisdom of this strategy is simple: Although you might wish things were different (or demand it), they are not. They are exactly as they are. This doesn't mean you shouldn't make changes or encourage improvements–you absolutely should do so in those instances where you feel it's important or necessary. What this strategy is addressing is the frustration that comes from not having things go your way.

    In our home we have a little saying that one of the kids made up. I've always thought it's a great way to describe calm surrender. When something breaks or something goes really wrong, one of the kids will say, "Oh well, everything happens!" In other words, what's the use of struggling?

    If you are willing to give this strategy a try, you will be amazed at the results. The calmer you become, the easier your life will be. Rather than exacerbating negative events and bringing out the worst in other people, you'll begin to stop negativity before it has a chance to spiral any further. In time, and with a little practice, you'll begin to experience chaos in a whole new light. There will be so much less drama in your life. So, starting today, see if you can ease the chaos by experiencing calm surrender.

SMILE

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.
The smile seemed to make him feel better.
He remembered past kindnesses of a friend
And wrote him a thank you letter.
The friend was so pleased with the thank you
That he left a large tip after lunch.
The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,
Bet the whole thing on a hunch.
The next day she picked up her winnings,
And gave part to a man on the street.
The man on the street was grateful;
For two days he'd had nothing to eat.
After he finished his dinner,
He left for his small dingy room.
He didn't know at that moment
that he might be facing his doom.

On the way he picked up a shivering puppy
And took him home to get warm.
The puppy was very grateful
To be in out of the storm.
That night the house caught on fire.
The puppy barked the alarm.
He barked till he woke the whole household
And saved everybody from harm.
One of the boys that he rescued
Grew up to be President.
All this because of a simple smile
. . .That hadn't cost a cent.

Quotes

Some great thoughts for teachers . . .

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."
-James Barrie
"Happiness is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it."
"The mind, like a parachute, functions only when open."
"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it."
-John Ruskin
"You may not have been responsible for your heritage, but you are responsible for your future."
"The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment; it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone."
-Orison Swett Marden
"Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice."