Have you ever had the feeling that you’re supposed to be doing something else? Have you asked yourself if you can do it?
Was there a dream you wanted but didn’t pursue? What’s holding you back? Is it procrastination, fear, or the fear of rejection?
Is Resistance Holding You Back?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you’re in the same boat as everyone else. Resistance is when we try to break away from an old habit, but a force engulfs us with the words “I can’t.” The force acts as an unseen obstacle. It cannot be seen, touched, or heard, but rather it is felt internally.
Whenever we put our energy into achieving a goal, this force acts as a negative influence to repel and distract us, preventing us from reaching that goal. You are your own greatest enemy because resistance is self-generated and can stop any dream dead in its tracks.
Some Examples of Resistance:
You made a resolution to start working out this New Year but never followed through. You tell yourself that you’ll start a new healthy way of eating tomorrow, but for now, you indulge in that last slice of pizza. You want to introduce yourself to someone, but Resistance tells you that you’ll be rejected and it will never work out.
Examples of resistance may include being self-critical, preoccupied with appearance, perfectionism, social withdrawal, fear of failure, fear of success, and so on.
My Experience
Initially, I had a strong resistance to starting this blog. Whenever I sat down to begin, I found myself procrastinating instead. Resistance often takes the form of procrastination when we strive to achieve a calling, dream, business idea, or personal growth (morally, spiritually, or ethically).
Fortunately, there are ways to overcome resistance and win the internal battle. What makes resistance so formidable? It’s fear. Fear is the fuel that animates resistance; the more power you give it, the more it dominates your actions.
Understanding Fear
Biologically, we are programmed to feel rejection and fear in our gut. This instinct has taught us what to do throughout our lives. For example, if we do something wrong in school, we know what the teacher will say, and we get that gut feeling, so we run away from the fear.
Fear can paralyze us and prevent us from doing our work. It takes a great deal of character to confront fear, but it’s not impossible. Once we overcome our fear, we can conquer resistance.
Since resistance arises when we feel our calling, we can use fear as a guide instead of fighting it. Fear can cause self-doubt, but it can also serve as a self-indicator of what we need to do. Fear is just an emotion, and emotions act as feedback on what is happening in our environment and the beliefs we hold about the event. Think of resistance as a compass that points you toward your true calling.
Resistance can also reveal the love you have for your dream, calling, project, and so on. The amount of love you have for something is equally opposed to the amount of resistance you will face, so the more you love something, the more resistance you will have to push through.
The rule of thumb is to focus on the satisfaction you will feel when you finally follow through! In other words, if you want to quit your job and start a business, go for it!
If entrepreneurship is your passion and it’s vital to you, follow through and believe in yourself. You will face resistance, but use it as your compass to guide you in the right direction and overcome the fear and hesitation you have.
Remember that nothing worth having comes easy; you have to put in the work, just like anything else. When people say “no pain, no gain,” they mean it. If your goal is fitness-related, instead of focusing on the soreness, focus on becoming a better version of yourself.
Transform negative feelings into positive thoughts for a better outcome. When I sat down to write this post, I had thoughts of doing something else, like hanging out with my friends, but I tuned out those thoughts and put in the work. No pain, no gain, right?
The Ego is something that we think of ourselves as “I”.
Our conscious intelligence deals with everyday tasks of planning and thinking, while the unconscious Self is where our dreams and intuition come from. Resistance, which opposes the Self’s desire to evolve, originates in the Ego. The Ego is associated with materialism in everyday life and believes that buying bigger houses, nicer cars, or the latest gadgets will bring happiness. However, these things only provide a small amount of emotional well-being, and the desire for more never disappears.
In contrast, the Self is our most profound being. People sometimes turn to toxic behavior like drinking to excess to allow the Ego to take over and silence the Self. But true access to the Self comes from meditation, fasting, or prayer. The Self is infinite, ever-evolving, and the Divine ground in our image. The Ego resists this because it doesn’t want to change; it wants to stay the same.
As we become more selfless, we need the Ego less and less, leading to less materialism. However, the Ego resists this change, leading to opposition whenever we feel called by the Self.
Closing Thoughts
This is what It comes down to:
It doesn’t matter if you are chasing your dreams, wanting to open a business, or just being successful in art. If you’re going to tap into the top-notch version of yourself, then you need to embrace the fear. Overcoming resistance is essential to pursuing our dreams.
Fear and the ego can be powerful forces that hold us back, but by understanding them and using them as guides, we can turn them into tools for growth. It takes courage, determination, and a willingness to push through discomfort, but the reward of following our true calling is worth the effort.
Embrace the fear, use it to your advantage, and put in the work with the proper mindset. You can do it!
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