Are you experiencing a sudden and overwhelming urge to:
- Clean out your garage?
- Straighten your sock drawer?
- Write an overdue letter to Great Aunt Minnie?
You may be experiencing some internal resistance.
Resistance occurs when the desire to do or be something new
or challenging meets an equally strong urge to repel that
change. This creates a sort of "spiritual friction," which
can show itself as everything from avoidance to discomfort
or even acute emotional pain to downright depression.
Resistance comes complete with its own symptoms. You may be
experiencing resistance when you notice that:
- A project has surfaced that urgently needs completion.
For example, a sudden urge to dust off a needlepoint
project you started five years ago.
- You spend a good amount of time rattling around your
office or your house, feeling restless and unsettled,
perhaps a little flat.
- You've become a "critic" – usually in an area of
passion or interest. Rarely is anything performed or
produced up to your standards.
- Every time your desire to write, start a new business
or become a concert pianist surfaces, your inner
critic quashes the desire, saying, "That'll be a
ridiculous waste of time. You'll never make any money
doing that. Who do YOU think you are?"
- You circle the task at hand the way a dog circles its
tail before settling down in a comfortable spot.
- You spend your time coming up with a list of 432
reasons why you couldn't/shouldn't possibly move
forward with your project, task or desire.
- You feel fatigued for no apparent reason (resistance
is exhausting) or you notice that your calorie intake
increases in relation to your level of resistance.
- You turn down the universe's offers of assistance. In
other words, you receive the gift of help and you give
it back.
You're probably wondering: Why would we go to all this
trouble to resist a desire, calling or a dream? Wouldn't it
simply be easier to throw up your hands and embrace what's
coming along?
In his book Callings, author Gregg Levoy writes that
resistance is a protective mechanism – it's because we
think highly of ourselves that we look to protect our self-esteem and keep our sense of self. Our fear serves as a
protective mechanism.
What we care about most is often the most treacherous
terrain to traverse. When you hit on that dream or new-found ambition, the wall of resistance usually rises in
direct proportion to the importance of the dream. It's
human nature to protect what we treasure, and we treasure
our dreams. An ambition yet unrealized still exists as an
ambition. A dream remaining in a dream-state can be far
more comfortable than the scenario of a dream half-realized, then shattered. For many of us, the proposition
of a dream rendered asunder feels unbearable, and rather
than risk that possibility, we keep the dream safely
contained where no one can touch it – even ourselves.
So here's the good news. Resistance shows us exactly where
we need to look. It's a treasure trove of unexplored
questions, such as:
- "What am I afraid of?"
- "What do I resist looking at clearly?"
- "What do I need to be honest with myself about?"
- "What is my resistance protecting?"
The friction of resistance refines us; it causes us to look
more closely, to discern more carefully. Notice the places
in your life where you're experiencing resistance right
now, and I'll show you an opportunity for growth, talents
and dreams. So saddle up your courage, gather your
resources and bend your ear to the wisdom the universe is
trying to impart. Now that's a message worth listening to.
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Claudette Rowley, Coach and Author
Helps entrepreneurs harness their potential & soar to new heights
Co-author ~
A Guide To Getting It: A Clear, Compelling Vision
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