Submission Or Surrender?

From the ODAT, page 135:

"A long-time friend of AA, Dr Harry M. Tiebout, clarified brilliantly the difference between submission, and the surrender idea which is implied in Step One of the 12 Steps.
"In submission," he said, "an individual accepts reality consciously but not unconsciously. He accepts as a practical fact that he cannot at the moment conquer reality, but lurking in his subconscious is the feeling: "there'll come a day..." This is no real acceptance; the struggle is still going on. With this temporary yielding, tension continues. But when the ability to accept functions on the unconscious level as surrender, there is no residual battle; there is relaxation and freedom from strain and conflict."


I love that. I agree with the writer, I think it's a superb description of the difference between submission and surrender. When I submit, my wounded pride is in the forefront, and I submit only from my inability to master the situation.

When I surrender, I do so with good grace, with gratitude, with a sigh of relief. I accept reality for what it is, and stop struggling to orchestrate what I'd prefer it to be. I allow the universe to demonstrate to me how I can be part of the seamless flow, (and perhaps even enjoy the ride - what a surprise that was to me, I was so entrenched in my self-imposed misery,) instead of always thrashing and kicking and fighting to get off.

When I surrender. when I truly accept, life seems to accept me in return, and shower me with abundance.