The power of surrender: How letting go can be the path forward

In 2013, I was in one of the most stressful periods of my life.

From the outside, everything seemed fine.
But inside, I was living in a constant state of overwhelm.

I was burning the midnight oil almost every night, convinced that the only way to make progress was to outwork everyone else.

I pushed through exhaustion like it was some kind of badge of honor.
I told myself it was just “temporary” — that soon I’d catch up, soon I’d find balance.

But weeks turned into months, and the pressure didn’t ease up.
In fact, it built even more.

I was sleeping less.
Working more.
Ignoring the signs my body was desperately trying to send me.

My health wasn’t in top shape either — the result of too many late nights, too much stress, and too little self-care.

But like many high achievers, I thought if I just powered through it, if I just stayed one step ahead, everything would eventually “click.”

Spoiler alert:
It didn’t.

One night, sitting alone at my kitchen table — tired, restless, wired but exhausted — I had a call scheduled with Srikumar Rao, a legendary MBA business professor (and now Mindvalley author) and sage whose teachings I’d admired for years.

Honestly?
I almost canceled.
The thought of one more meeting, one more conversation, felt like too much.

But something in me—some small voice still holding on—said: “Show up.”

So I did.

On the call, Rao could sense my exhaustion almost immediately. And intuitively, he paused our scheduled conversation. “Vishen, before we continue I’d like to read you a poem” he said.

In my mind, I was thinking, “Do we really have time for poetry?” But I paused and listened. 

And then, instead of offering advice or “success hacks,” Rao did something unexpected:
He simply read me a poem by Rumi—a poem that would go on to alter the trajectory of my life:

“When I run after what I think I want, my days are a furnace of distress and anxiety;
If I sit in my own place of patience, what I need flows to me, and without any pain.
From this I understand that what I want also wants me, is looking for me and attracting me.
There is a great secret in this for anyone who can grasp it.”

Do you get it? Read that a second time if you must. 

That poem cracked me open.

Here’s the thing about Rumi:

He was a mystic who grasped what modern science is only now beginning to hint at — that reality is fluid, and that it’s our resistance, not the circumstances themselves, that creates our deepest suffering.

When I heard those lines, I realized something profound:

I wasn’t manifesting.
I was manipulating.

I was clinging to old ideas of success.
I was trapped in a cycle of effort, overwork, and control.
I was forcing life to move at a pace that my soul knew wasn’t sustainable.

And it wasn’t working.

Rumi’s words invite us to a different way of being:

To shift from pursuit to attraction.
To stop running frantically after dreams… and instead sit—centered, aligned, open, and allow the dreams already seeking us to flow naturally into our lives.

This is the “great secret” Rumi speaks of:

What you seek is already seeking you.
The key isn’t more struggle.
It’s a deeper surrender.

Surrender isn’t giving up.

It’s giving over.

Giving over the frantic timelines.
Giving over the illusion that we have to fight for everything.
Giving over the belief that worthiness comes from exhaustion.

When I shifted — when I finally gave myself permission to trust, to breathe, to realign — everything started changing.

Not because I worked harder.
Not because I found the “perfect strategy.”

But because I let go.
And when I let go, what I truly needed was able to find me.

Manifestation isn’t about chasing.
It’s about becoming magnetic to the dreams that are already yours — waiting for you to open the door.

And magnetism?
It’s activated through surrender.

“Manifestation happens when you release your white-knuckled grip on life — and trust that the dream is running toward you, too.”

If you’re reading this right now, maybe it’s your moment, too.

Maybe it’s time to stop sprinting toward your dream. And start inviting it to sprint toward you.

Why you’re not manifesting faster (and how surrender collapses time)

Let’s get brutally honest for a sec:

If manifesting your dream life were as simple as “think positive and wait,” you’d already be a barefoot billionaire, sipping fresh coconut water in Bali, meditating on mountaintops while your inbox explodes with dream opportunities.

But here you are—still hustling, still hoping, still wondering, WTF, Universe?

And guess what?
It’s not because you’re broken, lazy, or “bad at manifesting.”

It’s because nobody ever taught you the second half of the process.

Manifesting isn’t just about setting intentions and visualizing until your third eye begs for mercy.

It’s about mastering the art of surrender.

Miss this part?

You’ll stay stuck in that maddening limbo — seeing signs, feeling progress… but never quite crossing the finish line.

What’s really killing your dreams

Here’s where 90% of conscious creators trip themselves up.

They set bold intentions.
They visualize so hard that their third eye practically needs an ice pack.
They create vision boards so grand they could hang in the Louvre.

But then…
They grip.
They obsess.
They panic.

And whether they realize it or not, they start sending out a dangerous broadcast to the Universe:

“I don’t actually believe it’s happening.”

As Dr. Joe Dispenza teaches:

“Your personal reality is created by your personality — your thoughts, emotions, and energy.”

When you radiate fear, doubt, or neediness, you don’t just delay your dream…
You push it away.

Energy master Jeffrey Allen puts it even simpler:

“Every second, you’re either pulling your dreams closer — or pushing them away.”

And the wild thing is:
It’s never about how hard you work.
It’s always about the energy you’re vibrating.

The real science behind “letting go”

Surrender isn’t just “giving up” with a sad shrug.

It’s precision energy work.

Here’s what modern science tells us:

Your Reticular Activating System (the brain’s filter) literally tunes reality based on your emotional expectations.
Your heart’s electromagnetic field is 5,000 times stronger than your brain’s — and it syncs your outer world when you lock into elevated emotions.

Translation?

Feel fulfilled before your dream arrives — you magnetize it.
Feel lack, neediness, or tension — you repel it.

You don’t manifest by needing harder.

You manifest by untangling your happiness from your goal. 

Have a goal, but don’t tie your happiness to achieving it. Be happy BEFORE the attainment of your goal. 

What the masters know about surrender

The world’s most powerful manifestors don’t hustle harder.

They master surrender. Let’s look at some of the quotes and advice from Mindvalley’s panel of Manifesting teachers who will be on stage at the upcoming Mindvalley Manifesting Summit on May 17-18. 

Joe Dispenza: Feel it first

Joe Dispenza teaches something that should be carved onto every vision board:

“Feel the emotions of your future—before it happens — and you’ll change your destiny.”

The world’s greatest manifestors don’t sit around waiting to feel happy after they get what they want.

They step into the emotional energy of fulfillment now, knowing that life will eventually rearrange itself to match.

You don’t wait for your dreams to make you feel whole.
You become whole, and your dreams catch up.

Regan Hillyer: Trust the future you

Regan Hillyer didn’t create a 7-figure empire through spreadsheets and micromanagement.

She manifested it by releasing control and focusing on becoming the future version of herself who could easily hold that success.

Her mantra was simple but powerful:

“If not this, something even better.”

When you trust that something even better is on its way, it is.

Roxie Nafousi: Radical self-worth

Roxie went from rock-bottom addiction to bestselling author and transformation coach.
Her secret?
It wasn’t trying harder.

It was claiming her worth before any outer success showed up.
By deciding she was worthy first, she stopped clinging.
And when she surrendered, her life exploded into miracles.

Her book Manifest went on to sell a million copies. (How’s that for alignment with the Universe)

David Ghiyam: Certainty is Light

The Kabbalah master David Ghiyam says:

“Certainty brings Light. Doubt creates delay.”

In every moment you choose certainty, you become a magnet for miracles.

In every moment you indulge doubt, you slow your own timeline.

Why surrender collapses time

Because attachment slows you down.
Because fear fractures your field.
Because obsession keeps you vibrating in lack.

When you let go, you’re not “giving up.”

You have faith. You simply know it’s “on the way”. 

This is the secret Rumi speaks about. 

3 rituals to master surrender (starting today)

1. Future gratitude (the Roxie Nafousi method)

Every morning, take out a journal — nothing fancy, just something you can fall in love with — and start by writing:

“Thank you for my thriving business.”
“Thank you for my soulmate connection.”
“Thank you for vibrant health.”

Feel it as if it’s already here.
Smile as you write it.
Let your heart swell with gratitude for a future that already exists in the field, waiting for you to align.

This simple daily practice wires your body to believe — and when your body believes, the Universe responds.

2. Bold action + radical release (the John Lee approach)

Every day, take one bold, scary, courageous action toward your dream.
Send the email.
Launch the product.
Ask for the introduction.

But then — and this is crucial — release the outcome.

Say to yourself:

“I plant the seed. I trust the harvest.”

Because farmers don’t sit around digging up the soil every five minutes to see if the seeds are growing.

They plant, water, trust, and know.

3. Daily energy reset (inspired by Jeffrey Allen)

Find a quiet place.
Sit still.
Close your eyes.

Feel for any tension in your body — any clenching around “when will it happen?”
Breathe golden light into that tension.
Exhale the fear.

Imagine each exhale dissolving layers of resistance.
With each breath, come back to that sacred knowing:

“It’s already on its way.”

You don’t need to hustle the Universe.
You just need to stay open.

Final word: You’re manifesting right now

You’re always manifesting.

The only question is:
Are you broadcasting lack?
Or certainty?

Next time your mind says, “It’s not happening fast enough” —
Smile.
Laugh.
Whisper:

“This or something better is unfolding—right now.”

Because the faster you surrender…
The faster your reality bends.

As Rumi reminds us:

“Be crumbled.
So wildflowers will come up where you are.
You have been stony for too many years.
Try something different.
Surrender.”

Master surrender—LIVE?

Join us at the Manifesting Summit 2025. You can attend live in LA or join online on Zoom for just $29. 

Learn from the masters — Vishen, Joe Dispenza, Regan Hillyer, Roxie Nafousi, and more — how to set intentions, embody certainty, and collapse timelines like a pro.

Get your ticket here.

The future’s not waiting.
It’s listening.

PS: If this stirred something inside you — a spark, a shift, even a tiny “hell yes”—drop me a comment below and tell me what hit home. I actually read every single one, because your insights are the magic fuel behind everything we create.

And if someone you love needs this nudge, too? Forward it to them. Good energy multiplies when we share it.

With Love, Vishen