If I had to choose one book that has had the greatest impact on my life, it would be The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer. It is, without question, my favorite book of all time.
What makes this book so meaningful to me is that when I first read it, it felt less like I was reading someone else’s story and more like I was reliving a chapter of my own life.
In 2000, I embarked on what I can only describe as my own surrender experiment. After stepping away from a successful corporate career, I spent about 18 months following an unexpected path of personal growth, exploration, and discovery. Instead of trying to force a specific outcome, I learned to trust where life was leading me. Looking back, that period became one of the most transformative experiences of my life. It ultimately led me to become a mission-driven entrepreneur and was pivotal in my decision to launch CPA MOMS.
When I later discovered Michael Singer’s story, I was struck by how familiar it felt. While our journeys were very different, the underlying lesson was the same: life often has a bigger vision for us than we can see for ourselves.
Singer’s central idea is simple but profound. Much of our suffering comes from resisting reality, clinging to our preferences, and trying to control outcomes. His experiment was to stop fighting what showed up and instead fully engage with the opportunities life presented.
I have found myself returning to this lesson at every major transition point in my life and business. Whether it was launching CPA MOMS, navigating seasons of growth, facing unexpected challenges, or embracing the next chapter, the practice of surrender has continued to guide me. Not surrender as giving up, but surrender as trusting, listening, and allowing life to unfold without needing to control every detail.
I have recommended this book to countless people over the years, and almost every person has come back telling me how much value they received from it. Beyond the wisdom it contains, it’s simply a fantastic story. It’s part memoir, part adventure, part spiritual journey, and once you start reading, it’s incredibly difficult to put down.
If you’re navigating change, wrestling with a difficult decision, or wondering whether it’s time to let go of something that no longer serves you, this is the book I recommend more than any other.
Sometimes the next chapter begins when we stop forcing life to go our way and become curious about where it is trying to take us.
Mayumi Young
Brand Ambassador
CPA MOMS