The Rhythm of Surrender (Part 4 of 6)

“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

My story left off with with the decision to leave the safe space of the Dojo, which felt like home with its quaint and cozy atmosphere. The move into commercial space incited a deep fear. It wasn't the cost that scared me most but the thought of losing the peace and tranquility my students expected and appreciated. I worried that being in a shopping center would strip away that sense of separation from the busyness of the day. 

Worst case scenarios ran through my mind. I imagined students leaving because the new space could not provide the same comfort. I also questioned if I was ready to manage a commercial location. And where would it even be? 

A commercial move likely meant relocating farther away, which might inconvenience longtime students. Once again, fear of losing the community I had built for so many years created panic. 

I asked myself, was this truly a message to expand or was it the end of the journey as I knew it? Searching for clarity, I meditated several times a day. I prayed for a message either way: give up or keep going. I toured spaces around the county but nothing felt right. I began to accept that I might not be meant to have a physical space anymore. In that energy of defeat, I still found the strength to meditate and pray. I shifted my request from a sign to a simple plea for inner peace. 

It was in that surrender that I found peace, more than I had felt in a long time. My realtor continued to look but I told him not to put much effort into it. Shortly after, he shared that a suite had opened on Brown Station Road, just three minutes from the Dojo. My heart lit up, and I felt that this was the place, even before I had seen it. 

As Divine alignment would have it, the space had once belonged to the Kung Fu studio, or Dojo, which had moved next door to a larger suite. I laughed with gratitude at the clarity of the message. I embraced the truth that things will always work out, and that surrender creates the space for light to break through. 

The space needed little work, and we celebrated our grand opening in Suite 130 on April 4, 2015. It was full of love, joy, and community beyond what I had imagined. From then on I paid closer attention to the nudges, trusting them rather than ignoring them and being forced to move. 

That inner nudge came up again four years later in 2019. This time I chose to be proactive and faith-filled as I stepped into the next expansion, believing it would unfold with ease… or so I thought.

Read Part 5: A Test of Faith

With love and gratitude,
Dana Andrea

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