This is part of a 7-week series exploring the seven core emotional attributes that drive human interaction, as presented by the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. These attributes are collectively called Sephirot. Each individually is a sephirah.
This week we have been exploring the sphere of Hod, the quality gratitude, humility, and surrender.
what if you could find
sovereignty in surrender
give over, not up
Today is the final day of week 5, the week of Hod. Today is the day of Malchut of Hod, which could be translated as
Sovereignty in Surrender.
This feels like a paradox.
For many people, surrender means “giving up” or “giving in.”
From that frame, it’s hard to find sovereignty in surrender.
Surrender as giving up or giving in feels like a forced choice we make when things don’t work out the way we planned or desired. L
But that’s not what we’re talking about with Hod.
Hod is about the humility to recognize that our desires are wishes, that we don’t know everything, and that our plan inevitably doesn’t contemplate numerous factors that we don’t know and can’t know.
Our plan can only contemplate the circumstances we know or can predict, the skills we have today or that we know we can acquire.
When we have humility we can acknowledge that there is so much we don’t know — even if we can’t even name it.
Surrender is not about “giving up” or “giving in.” It’s about giving over:
Allowing ourselves to receive support from others who might have expertise or wisdom to share, having faith in the Divine order and plan, seeing the brilliant light of others who can contribute to our mission and vision.
Sovereignty is not about controlling everything; it’s about knowing what we can control, setting limits and boundaries to preserve the space we need to show up at our best, and letting go of what doesn’t serve us.
As David Ebenbach writes at RitualWell.org, the great apparent paradox of humility is that being clear about your limits makes you and your authority stronger.
Giving over our desire for control or to have all the answers, recognizing our limits, and calling in support to assist in the areas that are not our strengths is the hallmark of leadership.
This is the sovereignty in surrender.
Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Don't hold back...