The Wisdom of Surrender: Relying on Others

Most of us pride ourselves on our self-sufficiency. We like to be responsible for taking care of ourselves and pulling our own weight in the world. This is why it can be so challenging when we find ourselves in a situation in which we have to rely on someone else. This can happen as the result of an illness or an injury, or even in the case of a positive change, such as the arrival of a newborn. At times like these, it is essential that we let go of our feeling that we should be able to do it all by ourselves and accept the help of others.

The first step is accepting the situation fully as it is. Too often we make things worse either by trying to do more than we should or by lapsing into feelings of uselessness. In both cases we run the risk of actually prolonging our dependency. In addition, we miss a valuable opportunity to practice acceptance and humility. The ego resists what is, so when we move into acceptance we move into the deeper realm of the soul. In needing others and allowing them to help us, we experience the full realization that we are not on our own in the world. While this may bring up feelings of vulnerability, a deep feeling of gratitude may also emerge as we open to the experience of being helped. This realization can enable us to be wiser in our service of others when we are called upon to help.

It takes wisdom and strength to surrender to our own helplessness and to accept that we, just like every other human being, have limitations. The gifts of surrender are numerous. We discover humility, gratitude, and a deepening understanding of the human experience that enables us to be that much more compassionate and surrendered in the world.

DailyOM - Allowing Spirit in

DailyOM - Allowing Spirit in: "January 27, 2010
Clearing Your Mind
Allowing Spirit in
Set aside time each day to unclutter and settle your mind. Whether through yoga, dance, walking or journaling.


After a full day out in the world, stories, words, images, and songs from any number of sources continue to play in our heads hours after we encounter them. Even as we lie in bed, in the quiet dark, our minds continue noisily processing all the input from our day. This can leave us feeling unsettled and harassed. It also makes it difficult to take in any new information or inspiration. Like a cluttered house that needs to be cleared if it is to have room for movement and new life, our minds need clearing if they are to be open to new information, ideas, and inspiration.

Too often, the activities we choose to help us relax only add to the clutter. Watching television, seeing a movie, reading a book, or talking to a friend all involve taking in more information. In order to really clear our minds, we need a break from mental stimulation. Activities like yoga, dancing, or taking a long walk help to draw our attention to our bodies, slowing our mental activity enough that our minds begin to settle. Deep breathing is an even simpler way to draw attention away from our mental activities. Once we are mentally relaxed, we can begin the process of clearing our minds. Most of us instinctively know what allows our minds to relax and release any unnecessary clutter. It may be meditation or time spent staring at the stars. Whatever it is, these exercises feel like a cool, cleansing bath for the brain and leave our minds feeling clear and open."

A Typical Evening with Grandma Martenson

I just had to blog about what has been going on since Mom came to live with us last December. We have all gotten used to having her here and now it feels wierd when she is gone. She went up to Diana's for the weekend and the chair in the corner of the living room seemed very empty while she was gone. We even sort of missed the sound of the oxygen machine at night. (Not really, it is LOUD!) Mom doesn't want to do much but there is one thing that she loves to do everyday and that is to watch Jeapordy and Wheel of Fortune. We have all gotten used to watching it with her and we play along and try to guess the puzzles. So on a typical evening at the Beagles....around 7 o'clock you will find us in front of the TV with Grandma Martenson!

New Year's Fun!

After the New Year we had a very fun visit from Jana and Kaelohi! The sad thing is I took almost no pictures but I did get this one very cute shot of the three of us. In spite of the lack of documentation it was a very fun weekend and we packed a lot in. Including a fun, fun shopping trip where we were all in the dressing rooms together trying stuff on and saying yeah or nay for each other! So fun to be together like that again. We stopped at the Blue Lemon for lunch on the last day of their visit and it was sad to have to say good bye again.......until next time! We love you guys!

The Christmas Soup by Kevin McGrath

I just had to mention one more really fun event that happened at Christmas at my house. Kevin McGrath was there with his lovely fiance Melanie and he wanted to make us a traditional mexican soup called Posole. I think he was actually expecting a little more help from Margaret and Melanie but we all had a tea party to attend, so he got left on his own with only Brad as a resource. When we came home we found a pot of simmering yummy Posole. It was really good and I loved all the toppings you add just before you eat it. I will let the pictures speak! Ole!

Christmas Tea Party 2009

We carried on our new tradition of having a Christmas Tea at the Grand America in SLC. This year we were joined by Grandma Martenson, Margaret and her newly engaged daughter in law to be Melanie and Diana came too. It was a fun filled afternoon as we visited over tiny tea sandwiches, held up our pinkies and sipped our delicious variety of teas and munched on delightful pastries and slices of cake, and not to forget the strawberries and whipped cream. Very fun to have a girl's day out and a rare treat to have Mom there as well. The pictures will help us to remember and help you to see what a fun time we had.....wish YOU were here! <3 <3 <3