How to Greet Resistance
Dear friends,
As we seek to level up our reality and creativity, we are bound to encounter resistance.
Just like a rocket faces the force of earth’s gravitational pull before it can orbit smoothly in space, the same is true when we are being ushered out of our old reality and into creating the new — whether this is with regard to our personal life, health, careers, businesses, or creative endeavors.
Resistance will be there to greet us and how we greet resistance will make all the difference in whether or not we are able to experience the breakthroughs that we need to birth the new.
Resistance can either distract us and derail us for days, months, or even years, or we can use it to fortify our resolve, clarify our vision, and propel us forward.
How we meet resistance typically depends on how we meet ourselves.
If we are overly critical and harsh towards ourselves, then when resistance pops up, we will use it as ammunition to beat ourselves up even more, going into spirals and wasting precious time repeating old unhealthy cycles over and over again.
But if we are accustomed to meeting ourselves with kindness and compassion, when resistance shows up, we can lovingly hold ourselves through the intense pressure it can create as we continue to take gentle, aligned action toward ushering in the new.
Resistance can present itself differently for everyone, but some common examples include:
intense bouts of self-doubt
sudden surge of fear, grief, or anxiety over multiple areas in your life
physical aches and pains, disruptions in your sleep, and changes in appetite
super tempting and seemingly shiny offers and opportunities emerging that are not aligned with your values and where you want to go
a major crisis hits that requires your immediate attention and drains your energy
and if you are really leveling up, you can experience a combination of these or even all of them at once!
This is why so many people stay stuck for most of their life. They never figure out how to handle the discomfort of moving through resistance and instead, end up sabotaging the process and the path to better possibilities.
Resistance has a way of bringing up our oldest wounds and deepest insecurities to the surface, just as we start gaining momentum toward the new.
It takes a lot of awareness and self-compassion to not get caught up in the internal and external pressures that arise and instead say, “Oh, Hello! Resistance, I see you! I’m going to be gentle with myself and take one tiny step forward with you.”
This can look like having a good cry in the morning over the grief that has surfaced, gently getting yourself ready, giving yourself a pep talk, and still showing up for that important meeting in the afternoon.
This is not about stuffing down your emotions or avoiding the intense pressure that is building up within and/or around you. This is about compassionately showing up for yourself while seeing this experience for what it is: resistance doing its job to make sure that you are strengthened and prepared for maintaining the next level and your new reality.
Therefore, resistance is not something to fear, but an experience to greet with patience and love.
It is certainly not always easy, but we can move through it with ease.
And on the other side of it, there is usually immense relief, clarity, and elevated confidence to help you glide into your new higher equilibrium — just like a spaceship glides into space.
So may you always greet yourself and resistance with gentleness and love,
And may you continue to thrive!
With love and gratitude,
Maliheh