That surrender thing was (and sometimes still is) a hard thing for most to accept. I mean, how could I possibly win or succeed at something if I’m told to give up and surrender? I’ve always been taught that the things worth having were worth fighting for, yet the program told me to surrender. What was up with that?

I remember trying to figure this out when, during a meeting, I heard someone define surrender this way: “Surrender means laying down your arms and joining the winning side.” Suddenly it made sense. I looked around at all the winners who had surrendered and overcome their addiction, and I realized that if I stopped fighting, stopped resisting, and surrendered too, then I could recover as well.

Today I have come to see the wisdom in the saying, “We ceased fighting anything or anyone.” I now understand that the majority of my pain and discomfort comes from fighting and resisting things as they are, and that immediate peace and serenity are mine the moment I surrender. Once surrendered, I can meditate on the right thought or action, and the solution always comes if I remain open to it.

Today I understand the saying, “You can’t experience victory if you refuse to surrender.”