The High Vibe Guide
You can feel happier! You can feel more positive, and it's so much easier than you think.
Whether you're a seasoned venturer or just starting out on your journey to radiating a more positive energy, my episodes will provide a wealth of inspiration, tools and wisdom to guide you in creating a more vibrant and positive life. It is possible. I have lived and breathed this journey. Let me explain how you can do it too.
The High Vibe Guide
41. Happiness Hack#2 - Surrendering to Life's Flow
In this episode of The High Vibe Guide, I’m sharing another one of my favorite happiness hacks that's been heavily occupying my mind lately: surrendering to life’s flow. When we let go of control and trust in the journey, amazing things start to unfold. As with everything on this podcast, I am the living, breathing embodiment of proof of these concepts! Remember, if I can do it, then you can too.
Tune in to hear how releasing resistance and embracing the present moment can open doors to more joy, fulfilment, and wholly unexpected opportunities.
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Go and read The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer! I have no affiliation with the author or the book - I simply believe everyone should read it. Here's the amazon link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surrender-Experiment-Journey-Lifes-Perfection/dp/147362150X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2JBRGL1QVIV8U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5B5ftXsgdSMIVfuiLrsDl4PiKyd6D4yow3ykTxqyRsWTt9EYc9VHhK1ZY-u8OC7x1MR-B44YtBiK6EH0xbhCnT0LfkAaPKVBZc2thCUybdlEhj0GAVTcdhmQLwDHkj_VvyG81dbuvSYdl0K-mI6akxPD3foBaxqJjT2Q6_D_wR46npNvKHauI2wwDWE4cQEFaZq8H69C0lkx9B4-GI7f8We2V--_kiWkUCmbqNw3TKU.a4sxW8ZhEu8thGF1xK_d4hU3zIHlQrQGTFfeQk-D88I&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+surrender+experiment+by+michael+singer&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1728911667&sprefix=the+surrender+ex%2Caps%2C308&sr=8-1
Welcome to the High Vibe Guide, the podcast where I demystify the concept of raising our vibration. I'm Jenna, a yoga teacher, mum of three and passionate advocate for helping others to just feel happier. Let me explain to you how we can all live more contented and fulfilled lives, and how it's so much easier than you think.
Speaker 2:Hey, hey, hey, my High Vibe tribe. Welcome back to the High Vibe Guide. I'm very excited today to dive into another episode of one of my mini-series. I've got a couple going on at the minute, but this one today is another happiness hack. And today's hack is all about acts of service, but with a little twist. My cats are having a Barney in the background. Sorry, guys talking about acts of service, guys, be nice to each other. Can you hear them growling? Is it just me? I'm going to carry on ignoring them. So acts of service, but with a little something extra, because I know that.
Speaker 2:I've talked about kindness before on here and I've mentioned the powerful ripple effect that kindness has, not just in our own happiness but on the people around you. It's honestly incredible. I've witnessed this firsthand so many times and it still boggles my mind and continues to astound me to think that one small act of kindness can be a part of this chain reaction that just keeps spreading further than we'll ever know. One of my other one of the cats has has extreme zoomies going on right now, so I don't know what's going on. Had to be when I sit down to record, but I'm going to continue. So, today, flash, what are you doing? I want to take that idea of kindness one step further, because we're talking about being in service today to others, to a community, or even to a higher power Whatever that higher power looks like for you, because the truth is, it doesn't really matter looks like for you, because, the truth is, it doesn't really matter. So let me get into acts of service and what I mean by this, because there's something undeniably transformative about shifting the focus from ourselves to others. It's when you step out of your own head, your own worries, and start contributing to someone else's well-being, you find that your own problems start to shrink. You become part of something bigger, and I spoke about this in one of my earlier episodes.
Speaker 2:It would have been lessons from a hospital stay. It's in the first 10, I think it might be seven or eight or something, but I still think that when that other girl came into my ward, I was very ill, I had pneumonia and pleurisy, very sorry for myself. And this new girl came into the ward and I looked up from my bed. I looked up from my misery, my victim mentality that I was slowly slipping into, and I went and sat on her bed for the rest of the night, because she was young, she was scared and she was in a lot of pain.
Speaker 2:And I still think to this day that it was some kind of message from the universe, because it was then that I first started to really believe in the power of service, in kindness. It's one of the most powerful things we can do, because the benefits are just blooming, magnificent. Not only am I helping someone who's in need of it, but I'm healing myself. I'm realising that the world does not just revolve around me, and in doing so I'm training my mind to use perspective, and then I'm training my mind to be more emotionally resilient. So never underestimate the power of one single act of kindness or one simple act of service, and not just for yourself, but for the person directly on the receiving end of your kindness or service, but also how this will influence how they then go to treat others, and this just keeps rippling outwards forever and ever in this amazing and magical expanding wave of happiness. I'm going to describe that today, but I found that it's like the universe gives you this little kind of nod when you help someone else. Have you ever done something kind for someone, no matter how small, when you're not expecting anything back and just felt this surge of warmth. It's that feeling that creates a natural high and it boosts your happiness levels instantly. And the best part, like I said, is that it's not a one-way street. So think of it this way You're inspired by someone's kindness towards you they were probably inspired by someone else and it just goes on and on multiplying without us even knowing. The power of service is monumental and its reach is just beyond anything we can see. Beyond anything we can see Now. I've been thinking a lot about this recently because I'm reading the Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer. I think it's Michael Singer, but it's the Surrender Experiment, and if you haven't read it yet, please do yourself a favour pause this episode and go and order it. Get your bum on Amazon right now.
Speaker 2:This book has honestly been a game changer for me. Not only is this guy's own personal story so incredible, but by sharing his story, he manages to explain how to give up control of how you think your life should go and instead surrender to the flow the life presents to you, and he does this through acts of service nine times out of ten. That's why there's this tie between this surrender and acts of service, and it got me thinking about how being in service to others or a higher power can completely transform your mindset and then, in turn, your own happiness. So when we let go of our need to control every outcome, when we stop trying to force our lives to go in the direction we think it should, what we do is we open ourselves up to these incredible possibilities. It's about surrendering to something bigger than ourselves. That could mean being in service to others or to a greater force, whatever you call it, whether it's God, the universe source, or whether it's just simply life itself.
Speaker 2:In the book, he talks very much about just surrendering to the flow of life, and it really resonates with me, and I think those of you that have been listening to me for a while I think it will resonate with you too, which is really why I wanted to talk about it today. But I mean, if you think about it, so much of our stress and our unhappiness comes from this need to control. If you think about it, that's really what it is, and it's then resistance to things not being in our control, not how we want things to be. We want life to go according to our plan, and some of us have a tighter hold on this control than others, but we all have it. We all have expectations, and when they aren't met, we feel bad. But what if? What if? What if life has a bigger, more beautiful plan for us, one that we're resisting because we're so fixated on how we think it should be?
Speaker 2:When we finally let go of that tight grip, magic starts to happen. Things fall into place in ways that we couldn't have imagined, and this is where surrender comes, comes in. It's about trusting that life has a flow, a rhythm, and instead of resisting it, what if we just went with it? When you act in service to others or to a greater power, you are essentially saying I trust that the universe knows what it's doing. It's about shifting from I need to make everything happen my way to I'm open to what life has to offer. I believe, therefore, that it is resistance that causes all suffering in life. It's us resisting the current state of affairs that causes our sadness, our anger, our frustration and our despair. And don't get me wrong we're human. We are meant to feel all of these things, the good and the bad. But it's in the release, the surrender, that healing can happen faster and that life can continue to go on. It's trusting that life still goes on and there might be a better path for you.
Speaker 2:Hello you, it's Jenna, and I just want to take a quick moment to tell you about something I'm really passionate and excited about my new amazing creation, soulcircle. If you've been looking for a way to bring more balance, more peace and movement into your life, soulcircle is the online yoga studio and community designed just for you. Whether you're brand new to yoga or you've been practicing for years, soulcircle offers a space to grow at your own pace. We've got an on-demand library full of yoga classes, guided meditations, breathing techniques and more. You'll even find the extension of this podcast, the high vibe guide, the yoga edition, where you can learn all about how we can incorporate the teachings of yoga philosophy without us all living like monks, plus a supportive community of yogis from all over. It's like having your own personal yoga teacher and wellness studio right in your pocket, available whenever you need it. Are you ready to take the next step? Head over to wwwsoulcircleuk and start your free trial today.
Speaker 2:Now, I know this can feel easier said than done, especially when it involves letting go of that control and, like I said, some of us have a pretty tight grip on that. I've been one of those grippy people and, trust me, I'm still working on this. But I just feel like I've opened up this new wave of awareness after reading this book, because we are wired to think that we have to be the ones to force our dreams and our goals into our reality, aren't we? And don't get me wrong, I am all for dreaming big, for visualising, setting intentions and working towards goals. I mean, you should see my vision board at the minute, guys. But here is the twist what if we release the how and the when? What if we just allowed life to present the opportunities, the paths and the possibilities? And the key here is not just turning your nose up at opportunities and paths and people that come into our way because we don't think it's how it's meant to happen. So that's what I mean when we just release expectation and just notice, be aware of everything that's falling into your path and leaning away from the resistance to them, because we don't think it's exactly how it should happen. And this idea isn't just spiritual. That's what I really like about this concept, because it's a huge practical side too.
Speaker 2:So for those sceptics out there, those spiritual sceptics like me, listen up now, because when you release the need for control, you open up space in your brain. You start noticing things that you would not have noticed otherwise. Trust me, I have tested this and it works Opportunities that were always there, doors that you didn't even realise were waiting to be opened, and, yes, you're the one that has to walk through them. But sometimes the best things come from the unexpected paths that we didn't plan. So when you hold on to that control, that expectation of how you think life should turn out, you are blocking the view of those opportunities, those doors waiting to be opened, those other pathways you wouldn't normally have taken. Because, think about it, how are you moving through life when you have a tight grip on control? How does your vision look? It will undoubtedly be much narrower, because you have only a specified amount of opportunities available to you, because you believe that you have a specified amount of opportunities available to you, and what I mean by that is you are effectively walking through life wearing blinkers.
Speaker 2:And I've even found this happens in the really small stuff, the everyday bits and bobs. I've noticed it recently. I can be in the kitchen like with the laptop open, pondering over some kind of work issue or problem in the middle of making dinner, or I could have just collapsed on the sofa for five minutes, peace, kind of in the midst of the after-school mayhem. This has happened in a few of these moments over the last week or two and my daughter, undoubtedly, will always come and ask me to do something for her or come and sit with her or play something with her, and of course my mind instantly resists. I would normally say, oh no, sorry darling, I'm in the middle of this, I'm making dinner or I've just got to finish this off really quickly.
Speaker 2:But what I've started to do now, I've started to play with this concept of surrender and flowing with what's happening right in my life, right now, in my present, and it involves leaning away from that part of the mind that wants to stay in control. And I know this sounds quite crazy and kind of counterintuitive, but what I started doing, I observed those initial thoughts, the ones that come up saying no, don't do that, I'm busy, bugger off. And then I observe what comes up when I lean into the surrender, the acts of service. So I think she's come and asked me to do this for a reason. So I go and do that thing that she's asking of me and sometimes it's just enough to see the little smile on her face Because that tiny moment I've gained a moment of gratitude and appreciation for my family, which you should know by now, guys. Gratitude is, I believe, one of the greatest healers for the mind.
Speaker 2:I haven't spoken about gratitude in a while, guys, but here it is again, or you know, maybe even sometimes again. This happened the other day while I'm doing whatever it is I'm doing with her that she's asked me to come and do. I have this strange moment of clarity and insight over whatever work problem I was dealing with a minute ago in the kitchen with the laptop open. It's very strange. And then, whatever it is I'm doing with her, five minutes later, I'm back doing what I needed anyway and everything's back on track. With this fresh new wave of perspective and satisfaction. With this fresh new wave of perspective and satisfaction, I'm telling you, guys, there's something incredibly powerful and even magical in just surrendering to the flow of life around you, even in the smallest things. Something can be learned from every single experience we have on this planet at any given moment, and even now, as I'm sitting here. There are so many examples that I can think of that I can share with you.
Speaker 2:When I've leaned in to what life is presenting right in front of me at any given time and it's always when I have initial thoughts of resistance I think, no, I don't want to do that, no, that's not for me, that's not the direction I want to go in, that's not how that's supposed to happen. When I come back to that opportunity, when I revisit it and I lean away from the resistance and lean into the opportunity, every single time it's come up trumps and it's presented something wonderful to me and ended up getting me where I wanted to be originally, just in a way that I didn't think it was supposed to happen. And this whole idea had. And this whole idea has my mind spinning in the best way, because I always as you probably know, I always kind of I'm always playing between the concept of is this the power of the universe or is it the power of the mind? That's where I'm always coming back to. Are these synchronicities that I'm seeing around me a result of the universe conspiring in my favour, the universe now being really happy because I'm finally leaning into surrender and taking its lead? Or is it simply that, by surrendering control, I am rewiring my brain to spot opportunities I would have missed? Or is it both, who knows? But what an amazing concept to ponder over. What an amazing thing to keep coming back to and wondering about. But that's the thing, though. Does it really matter Whether it is the universe guiding you or it's your own mind unlocking new pathways? The outcome's always the same it's more flow, it's more joy and it's more alignment with your higher self, or maybe not even from your higher self, if you don't like using kind of spiritual terminology. You know it can just be your intuition, your guts, your inner wisdom, your inner wisdom. So, guys, this is your happiness hack for today Surrender.
Speaker 2:Surrender to being in service. Whether it's to others or to a greater power, I think it's all the same thing. Because I believe now that living in surrender and acts of service to others will put you on the right path. Because I believe, whether it's spiritually or from that more sceptical or practical view, that it's the people around us that will present us with these opportunities around us that will present us with these opportunities. When you hold on tightly to control, you are less likely to have certain conversations with certain people, you are less likely to be presented potential opportunities and experiences, because these messages or these doors waiting to be opened or these experiences waiting to be experienced are all delivered through other people and through new experiences, and we cannot experience these opportunities when we are closed off or when we are blinkered and when we're restricted in how we expect to experience them.
Speaker 2:The key is broadening our minds, and we do this through acts of service when someone needs it, show them kindness when life throws you an unexpected occurrence. When life throws you an unexpected occurrence, go with it. You are serving the greater good. When something is presented in front of you, don't lean in to that initial resistance. Lean in to the new possibility, the new experience, because this is where growth happens, this is where we align with the path that is meant for us and this is where we rewire our brain patterns, release the need to control every detail of your life and trust that, when you're in alignment with the flow of life, beautiful things will unfold. You will be amazed at what happens when you stop trying to control everything and start allowing life to happen through you.
Speaker 2:I will leave you with that to think about my friends. Please let me know your thoughts on this, whether you've tried living in service, surrendering control or simply flowing with life. And if you have read the Surrender Experiment, I would love to hear what you thought about it and what impact it's had on you too. If you would like, I'm happy to do a kind of follow on episode from this, because I know I'm talking about this topic at a much kind of higher level. I'm tempted to go into detail. So once you've listened to this, please do send me a message, either on Instagram or send me an email. So once you've listened to this, please do send me a message, either on instagram or send me an email. My contact details will be in the show notes for this episode, but I really look forward to hearing from you. As I always do, I read all of your messages. Thank you so much for sending them all in, but until next time, keep looking for the good stuff and allow your minds to be open. I'll see you soon.
Speaker 1:Thank you all so much for tuning in. If you enjoyed today's episode, please share with your friends and family to continue spreading that positivity. You can find me on Instagram at thehighvibeguide. Get in touch. I would love to hear from you. Thank you all so much for listening and I'll see you back here next time at the high vibe.