Surrender to Change or Suffer the Loop

There’s a quiet truth many of us sense deep in our bodies:

If we don’t change, the pattern repeats.

The image above — the Ouroboros — is an ancient symbol found in many spiritual traditions. A serpent swallowing its own tail, forever moving in a circle. In alchemy, it represents the endless cycle of death and rebirth, beginnings and endings, the loop of unconscious behavior. But it also offers a choice.

“Surrender to change… or suffer in a loop.”

We loop in our relationships. Don’t we?

In our self-worth.

In our doubts.

In our fears.

Until we stop. And that is not always the most comfortable choice.

Breathe.

Listen.

Choose again.

Intuitive work helps us become aware of what we’ve been repeating — and what we’re finally ready to let go of. Change isn’t about control; it’s about surrender. It’s not always loud. Sometimes, it’s a whisper that says, not this time.

Also, it is common to repeat the loop until you feel strong enough, vindicated, sure, fed up or exasperated. No judgement here if you’ve stayed in a loop knowingly.

And yet I ask you:

✨ Where in your life are you repeating an old story?

✨ What would happen if you allowed change to unfold instead?

Let this be your invitation to shed the skin that no longer fits.

With love,

Arlene

Want to explore this more?

This is not a worksheet to rush through.

It’s an invitation to meet yourself with radical honesty.

To name the patterns that keep you circling.

To witness the moments where comfort outweighed growth.

And to finally ask: What would it mean to choose differently?

Let this be a sacred pause.

Light a candle. Breathe slowly.

Place one hand on your heart or wombspace. Let the body speak first.

Each question here is a mirror, not a test.

There are no wrong answers — only truths that may surprise you.

Write without censoring. Cry if you need.

This is your moment to break the loop.

✍️

Journal Prompts

1. What is one loop I find myself repeating in my life?

   
   

   (Emotional patterns, relationships, inner dialogue, etc.)

2. What do I get from staying in this loop?

   
   

   (Be honest — even if the answer is “safety” or “familiarity.”)

3. What does this loop cost me — emotionally, physically, or spiritually?

4. When was the first time I remember feeling trapped in this pattern?

   
   

   (What age was I? What was happening then?)

5. What would surrendering to change in this area actually look like?

   
   

   (Not a fantasy version — the next brave, small step.)

6. What am I afraid will happen if I truly let go of the old pattern?

7. What part of me still believes I deserve to suffer or stay stuck?

   
   

   (Let this be a compassionate, not judgmental, naming.)

8. What inner voice wants to rise up now and lead me differently?

   
   

   (Give that voice a name or tone — is it wiser, bolder, softer?)

9. What support do I need to step out of this loop?

   
   

   (People, practices, boundaries, rituals, etc.)

10. I commit to surrendering this loop by…

    
    

    (Finish the sentence with an action or affirmation.)

💫

Integration Prompt

Close your eyes. Visualize the Ouroboros — the snake eating its tail.

Now imagine it gently releasing itself from its own grip.

Uncoiling. Stretching. Shedding. Becoming something new.

Take a deep breath.

Then write:

“I am ready to release the loop of _______ and surrender into _______.”

Let this page be your declaration.