Say UNCLE!
Dr. James Mellon
When I was a young boy growing up in Philadelphia, I would quite often end up in some kind of “challenge” to see who was the strongest. Seems that Philly boys were always asserting their manhood, at least in the 1960’s. We’d wrestle on the church lawn or test each other on who could climb the tallest tree.
Once I remember challenging one another to see who could eat the most worms. I kid you not. I gag now even thinking about it. Seems one of our teachers told us that there was good protein in worms and that you wouldn’t get sick from eating worms. They were actually good for you. And while that might be correct on some scientific plane of indifference, getting the actual worm into your mouth was disgustingly nauseating, to say the least.
And so, I was almost always the first one to SAY UNCLE! I was notoriously good at giving in, which was, for an adolescent boy, humiliating. Still, I’d rather scream UNCLE than let a slimy worm ever touch the outer parameter of my mouth IN ANY WAY.
Which brings me to our theme this month; “Surrender.”
What’s the difference between surrendering and saying uncle? Not much, really. Either way you are saying NO to something and simultaneously saying YES to something else. The actual definition of Surrender is “...to cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority.”
In terms of my nemesis the worm, I stopped resisting my common sense that was screaming at me to STOP!!! And in the end I submitted to an authority of saneness that my body was reinforcing with every gag that ensued.
Sometimes it’s okay to say NO to something that doesn’t serve you and in doing so say YES to yourself.
Another definition of Surrender is to “...give oneself up into the power of another.” And this definition works for me in terms of consciousness. When I am able to surrender to that part of me that knows, my life has the capacity to align with my highest good and my deepest purpose.
It’s not giving into the power of another but giving into my own innate power and using my intuitive talents to trust and allow the Universe to take me along on its journey of divine unfoldment.
Growing up in Philly, we were raised with the idea that “God knows what’s best for you.” Well, my idea of God has certainly shifted. In fact, the word God has become an actual hotbed of controversy in the world of New Thought. How could something outside of myself, know what’s best for me? And why would I trust something or someone who may or may not even like me or care about me?
No, that didn’t work then, and it doesn’t work now. However, what does work for me is the idea of Surrendering, to that part of me, that knows who I am and desires nothing other than good for my life.
That’s what I suggest we do in this month of Surrender. We’ve rolled directly out of FUN and into a month of LETTING GO...trusting in LIFE and allowing all the GOOD that wants to know us to manifest.
So, I guess it all comes back to saying UNCLE! Only this time, I recognize myself as that UNCLE. This month, I’m saying YES to me and surrendering to these beautiful days of Summer. Wanna join me?