Ode to Surrender

This quote popped up during one of my many facebook surfing sessions:

"Love comes when manipulation stops; when you think more about the other person than about his or her reactions to you. When you dare to reveal yourself fully. When you dare to be vulnerable.”

Did you know this? Really know this? I guess it seems pretty obvious once read, but I wonder how many really live by this... I know it is a certain struggle for me. As the one of the many daughters of a generation of divorce, I imagine this is easier said than done. I suppose I am referring specifically to the vulnerable part.

Manipulation probably depends very much on your personality. However, over my short adult life (I am 30) I have observed a good portion of the population reacting to others.

Much of what I've observed is in effort to change (or manipulate, as the case may be) the environment to fit the need of the individual.

"Surrendering completely to love, be it human or divine, means giving up everything, including our own well-being or our ability to make decisions. It means loving in the deepest sense of the word. The truth is that we don't want to be saved in the way God has chosen; we want to keep absolute control over our every step, to be fully conscious of our decisions, to be capable of choosing the object of our devotion." - The Witch of Portobello, by Paulo Coelho

"If the opposition disarms, well and good. If it refuses to disarm, we shall disarm it ourselves." -Joseph Stalin (1879 - 1953)

And, ummmm how well does that work out? Not so much.

Om shanti.