I’ve written about Resistance a number of times, especially as inspired by the fabulous book The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield. It’s a small but mighty book that I definitely recommend adding to your permanent collection. (Find previous blog here.)
Today, however, I am sitting smack in the middle of a pool of resistance myself, so it’s the perfect time to revisit the subject. As Pressfield makes known so clearly, resistance is a byproduct of any forward motion that is for your greater good. Any decision to lose a negative habit, gain a healthy one, or attain a long-desired outcome.
What does resistance look or feel like? It has a lot of faces. Unexpected obstacles. Lethargy. Problems that just “happen” to pop up, pulling your attention away from your determined action. It can even take the form of physical pain. (Pain happens as an effort by your psyche to be heard. The psyche starts with nudges, intuitive knowing, perhaps dreams, then maybe messages from books or people around you, and finally, if you still have not clued in or taken action, the message moves into the physical, as pain in your body. If it is still ignored, then it becomes disease.)
This is not to say that all pain has to be a message; although to be frank, I always use Louise Hays’ blue book of the body’s metaphysical language when I am experiencing physical difficulties. However, that’s not the point of today’s article.
The question is, if you are in pain, or exhausted, depressed, or inundated with a sudden rash of problems, do you stop and deal with these things? My response is a definite NO. Pain may mean you need to change the way you are doing something, but it does not mean you should stop moving to accomplish your goal. It is likely that the symptoms will go away when you doggedly focus on your goal and keep taking action. Here is where I put in all those disclaimers, especially the one that says I am not advising you to not seek out medical help and advice! (It’s also where I laugh at myself realizing I regularly chide my husband for physically over-doing. He is much better at not letting Resistance get in his way – at least in this arena.)
The most helpful thing I can do is to echo Pressfield and say Resistance is normal. It does not mean stop. Resistance is a message, loud and clear, that you are getting close, and now, more even more than before, it is critical to keep going!
Here’s a quote from Pressfield’s little book that says it all: “Like a magnetized needle floating on the surface of oil, Resistance will unfailingly point to true North—meaning that calling or action it most wants to stop us from doing. We can use it as a compass.”
Coach’s Challenge: Whether you set New Year’s Resolutions or not, mid-January is a time when motivation typically drops. It’s dark, it’s cold, and Resistance is definitely up. How is Resistance showing up in your life right now? (Remember, Resistance is normal!) What can you do to get your eye back on the center of where your heart wants you to go? (Spot in the middle of where the Resistance says “don’t go!”) I’d love for you to share – so leave a comment! The more the merrier!
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