Surrendering: Failing Upwards & Finding Peace

Surrendering is often misunderstood. The very word can evoke feelings of defeat, of giving up, of failure. But what if surrendering is not about losing, but about embracing a new path—one that aligns more closely with your true self? What if surrendering is not about giving up but about finding peace in letting go, and in doing so, discovering that you’re failing upwards?

I remember the day I decided to resign from a position I really cared about. It was a role where I felt like I was making a difference. Yet, over time, the weight of responsibilities began to take a toll on my mental health. The pressure, the high expectations, the oh-so-common poor senior management—all of it was becoming too much to bear. I was struggling to keep my head above water, and the more I tried to fight it, the more I felt like I was drowning.

For weeks, I battled with the decision. Quitting felt like admitting defeat. What would people think? Would I be seen as a failure? But deep down, I knew that something had to change. I needed to prioritize my well-being, even if it meant walking away from a role and team I loved.

The day I handed in my resignation, I felt an unexpected sense of relief. It wasn’t just the weight lifting off my shoulders; it was the realization that I was choosing myself for the first time in a long time. I was surrendering—not to failure, but to the flow of life, to the understanding that my worth was not tied to this job. I wasn’t giving up on my dreams; I was giving myself the space to breathe, to heal, and to grow.

In the weeks that followed, I found a peace I hadn’t felt in years. Without the constant pressure, I was able to reconnect with who I was outside of my professional identity. I started to see opportunities that I had been too overwhelmed to notice before. I began to recognize my strengths and talents in a new light, realizing that my potential wasn’t confined to one role or one career path. Surrendering had allowed me to fail upwards, to rise above my circumstances, and to trust that I was exactly where I needed to be.

Surrendering doesn’t mean giving up. It means not fighting against the current but instead allowing yourself to flow with it. It’s about embracing the belief that you have what it takes to succeed, even if the path looks different than what you had originally envisioned. By taking life one day at a time and acknowledging your strengths, you open yourself up to where you are meant to land.

Looking back, I realize that resigning from that position was not the end of my journey but the beginning of a new chapter. It was an act of self-love, a choice to prioritize my mental health and well-being. And in doing so, I discovered that sometimes, surrendering is the most powerful thing you can do. It’s not about losing control; it’s about trusting that the universe has a plan for you and that by letting go, you are allowing yourself to rise to new heights.

Surrendering, in its truest sense, is about about freeing yourself—about finding peace in the unknown and discovering that, often, the best way to move forward is to let go. Remember, the tree that is most flexible in the wind is the one that survives the storm. You are not weak for walking away, you are strong for not staying anywhere, or in any situation that does not serve you.

Keep Shining!