Achievers often talk about the courage needed to dream big and to work untiringly for actualizing the dream.

But not many achievers talk about another kind of courage that’s also necessary: the courage to let go. Actualizing our dreams requires many factors beyond our control to work out. If those factors don’t work out, we can’t do much. For example, if a ship on an ambitious voyage encounters a huge storm, it can’t make much headway.

When storms threaten our dreams, we need the courage to let go, understanding that the supreme controller, Krishna, is our greatest well-wisher (Bhagavad-gita 05.2). Frequently, we are reluctant to let go, seeing it as a sign of weakness. But bhakti wisdom helps us re-envision surrender as a sign of courage. Even when we have the faith that Krishna has some plan, we often don’t know what that plan is. Trusting him amidst such unawareness requires courage.

The Gita (11.33) integrates the courage to hold on and the courage to let go. By referring to Arjuna as an ambidextrous archer, it acknowledges his courage to dream – he had trained tirelessly lifelong to become a peerless archer. By urging him to become an instrument of Krishna in the ensuing war, even when it entailed the death of his venerable elders, it asks for the courage to trust Krishna’s plan.

Bhakti wisdom infuses us with this dual courage by explaining that our life’s perfection is not just in fulfilling our specific dreams, but in realizing our deepest need: the need for enduring love. We relish this love when we connect with Krishna by practicing bhakti-yoga diligently.

Then, we experience both dreaming big and trusting big as two aspects of the one devotional disposition that connects us with Krishna, dynamically and ecstatically.

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