the surrender experiment : michael singer

What would happen if you met resistance with surrender? That's essentially the question that Michael Singer set out to answer in his real-life Surrender Experiment. As he explains, "This experiment would not be about dropping out of life; it would be about leaping into life to live in a place where we are no longer controlled by our personal fears and desires." 

What I loved: The interplay of hippie/zen & everyday life. The way that Singer lived in seemingly opposing worlds – spiritual vs tech, for example – and was able to thrive in both. The honesty with which he wrote about times when resistance was the first reaction to pop up…a good reminder of the practice of surrendering. Most of all, the reminder that change, no matter how difficult (FBI raid, anyone?), is all about transformation. I didn't underline much in this book, but this passage sent me searching for a pen…

"Perhaps change only takes place when there is sufficient reason to overcome the inertia of everyday life. Challenging situations create the force needed to bring about change. The problem is that we generally use all the stirred-up energy intended to bring about change, to resist change."

What I left: Near the end of the book, I found myself skimming through the pages that detailed the medical services company & related FBI raid. I didn't need the play-by-play to "get it." Aside from that, I found Singer to be an simple & engaging writer. 

If you've read Singer's bestselling book, The Untethered Soul, I'd love to know what you thought. I enjoyed his writing, so I think that I'll put that book on my to-read list.

I received this book through the Blogging for Books program. I was not compensated for this review, and all opinions expressed are my own.