Sovereignty & Surrender: Embracing the paradox that awakens our true power

There’s a sacred paradox at the heart of the spiritual path that has often perplexed me—dare I say, challenged me more than once…no, let me BOLDLY proclaim, it has driven me mad a thousand times! Just for the record, this is not due to the nature of the paradox itself, but because it can be incredibly difficult to consistently live its truth in everyday life.

We are asked to rise into the full power of our sovereignty—our ability to create, to choose, to stand rooted in our truth—while at the same time surrendering to the greater orchestration of the Divine, where timing and unfolding are rarely ours to control. For most people, including myself, these can seem like opposing forces. But honestly, they dance together as easily as inhale and exhale…as smooth as peanut butter and jelly…as entwined as…well, you get the idea.

Sovereignty without surrender can harden into control. Surrender without sovereignty can dissolve into passivity. But when held together with awareness and intentionality, they create the sweetest spot of embodied trust—where our human will and divine flow interweave into something luminous, effortless, and profoundly alive. Sign me up, right??

“Sovereignty without surrender can harden into control. Surrender without sovereignty can dissolve into passivity.”

Sovereignty as Alignment, Not Control

When we open ourselves to our true power—as conduits of the Divine—it can be easy, especially in the beginning stages of remembrance, to fall into the “almighty me” perspective. And in fairness, there is truth there. We are empowered, sovereign beings.

But true sovereignty isn’t about rigid control. Are we standing firmly in our truth, making choices from a place of clarity, and honoring our own energy? YES, of course. But authentic sovereignty, in my humble opinion, is more about the practice of a sacred “yes” or “no”—ensuring that we’re choosing what feels aligned while releasing what doesn’t. It’s not about closing ourselves off to benevolent outside forces that hold a much broader perspective for our highest good than we ever could in human form.

Surrender as Trust in Divine Orchestration

The idea of surrender often gets a bad rap being portrayed as passivity, weakness, or “giving up.” But what if we reframed it? What if surrender was seen instead as a cooperative act of trust—like exhaling after a deep inhale?

In my personal experience, no matter what the situation, once I’ve exasperated myself (which is usually what it comes to for this Virgo) and reached the point of total depletion and, finally, surrender—that’s when the most beautiful happenings take place. And they’re always far better than anything I could have ever planned for myself.

Ego Versus Soul Perspective

This is perhaps my favorite one to unpack. What does the ego crave? Certainty. Timelines. Guarantees. (Me, me, me 🙋🏻‍♀️.) And when life doesn’t present that way—well, just watch my overactive, control-loving ego snatch the steering wheel faster than coffee vanishes on a Monday morning!

But the soul? The soul operates in cycles, divine timing, and expanded perspective. It’s not concerned with “facts” when infinite possibilities exist. It doesn’t speak in terms of time because it understands how illusory time truly is.

When the ego gets restless, sovereignty anchors us. When the soul speaks, surrender softens us.

“Sovereignty and surrender are not rivals—they are partners. One roots us in truth, the other opens us to grace.”

Closing Reflections

At the end of the day, sovereignty and surrender are not rivals—they’re partners. One roots us in truth, while the other opens us to grace. When we allow them to dance together, we step into a way of living that is not only powerful but profoundly free.

So maybe the challenge isn’t to “master” the paradox after all (note to self), but to practice it moment by moment. To notice when we’re gripping too tightly, or when we’ve drifted into passivity, and to gently return to the sweet spot between the two. It’s there, waiting for us—in every inhale and exhale, in every step of this luminous dance we call life.