September 5, 2021 | Categories: Articles

The personal Phase of Receptivity culminates in the transformative spiritual practice of Surrender, described as “the act of completely letting go.” In Western cultures, with our emphasis on self-determination and effort, this is a challenging concept to understand and practice. It is sometimes portrayed as the ability to receive without struggle or the power to co-create by aligning with the Natural Flow of Life. It is often interpreted in colorful and mysterious terms such as ‘effortless effort’ or ‘non-doing doing.’

These paradoxical concepts are far more pragmatic than they may first appear. Taken as a whole, the ability to be trusting, open, and receptive is an equal and essential component that provides balance for a creative life. Practicing a process of aligned Receptivity can lead to a powerful merging of the states of effort and ease.

What we traditionally call Willpower is a misnomer. It is a common term for an effort made by the Ego, or lower Self, that springs from a conscious decision. Anyone who has ever declared a well-intended New Year’s resolution has quickly run headlong into the limits of Willpower. We credit it with more influence than it actually has.

Without an ability to open to an inner alignment with some form of a Higher Power, the potential of our lower Self alone to realize goals is often incomplete and ineffectual. For our authentic Desires to take root and carry through the creative process, our intention must be grounded in a connection to the highest form of consciousness we can access. Whether this source is our highest cognitive ability, the deepest reaches of our subconscious, or some source of inspiration from a mystical force, we must become able to fully receive its guidance. 

Whatever your intellectual awareness will allow you to perceive, if you wish to reach your full potential, you must find a balance between ‘striving and allowing.’ You must gain every advantage you can from connecting to seen and unseen forces that aid your unfolding, expanding capabilities. Your odds of sustaining an inspired and productive creative practice will increase if you embrace Receptivity and engage the help that comes with a holistic approach.

A holistic approach includes the complete spectrum of Inspiration, Intention, and Will. You must be able to employ enlightened Receptivity as well as direct, focused efforts. The most critical Realms for the development of openness are the Heart and the Soul. When you bring those elements to their full potential in the service of your creative vision, you become more able, more willing, and more available to embody Receptivity. 

In its ultimate form, your ability to be ‘willing to receive’ can attain a state of Surrender that contrasts significantly with the limits of our willpower alone. You can prepare yourself for such a state of entrained consciousness with appropriate cognitive and spiritual techniques and practices. Once open and fertile, you can allow the power of Inspiration to flow into your creative efforts from start to finish.

A state of Surrender enables your creative process, as well as your personal transformation, to be part of the phenomenon known as ‘open to all possibilities.’ This extraordinary state is often described as being like a hollow reed or an empty vessel. Through conscious effort, you create a container in your inner world that Inspiration can enter and fill.

When you prepare yourself to accept direction from intangible sources, to trust what you are shown, and to be guided beyond your personal limits, you can transcend the confines of your boundaries. If you can truly trust this process, the full spectrum of your Creativity will be profoundly unleashed.