When you’re making the transition from your complacent life to your enlightened journey, you will begin to notice (either directly or indirectly) resistance.
The resistance will come from without; other people will try to talk you out of your decision to forge your own path or ridicule you for doing so, even “coincidental” circumstances will create even more resistance, like thunderstorms, flooding, washouts, detours, flat tires, delayed flights or any other combination of distractions to disrupt your progress.
Resistance will come from within; you will begin to second-guess your decision to move forward and away from the mob, you will have thoughts of unworthiness, self-doubt, you will ask yourself, “Am I being selfish?” All due to your programming that started at birth to make you feel the best that you can do is to settle for upper middle class mediocrity.
There is an underlying baseline train of thought designed to keep us (the greater human race) minimalized and manageable. To have to deal with a world full of enlightened (and powerful) individuals would be impossible; how could a group of people ever be able to control such a planet?
These subtle (or not so subtle) forms of resistance are present to prevent you from allowing your body, mind and soul from evolving into your higher form of conscious human being. The tug that you feel in your heart and spirit is you being called forth by everything that is.
Something inside you tells you that this is true; you know there has to be more to this life than what you’ve accepted ‘til this point and there is a yearning to realize the “something more” in your life…. And there is so much more…
Still, things pop-up; you think, “I’m on this amazing journey… It should be easier.”
There is a way that you can circumvent the resistance.
Opt Out of the Resistance
You only have to choose to opt out of the resistance and embrace the change that awaits you. To effectively opt-out, it requires two parts.
#1 Decide to Opt Out
You must have made the conscious decision to not participate in the resistance and the drama associated with it. And I find it is helpful to create a trigger to mark the spot where you recognize the resistance and create a stopping point; in effect, drawing a line in the sane.
Your trigger could be anything you want. For me, I tap on my right temple (that area to the side of my right eye) or my wrist (if I feel the need to be more discrete) as I think (or say out loud, if I am in private), “Stop!” I recognize the resistance and I refuse to participate.
#2 Embrace the Change
A little practice may be appropriate at first, but it will get easier as you perform the embrace the change routine.
Resistance is frustrating and can engage all kinds of emotions running the gamut, everything from fear and anger to sadness and self-loathing. Some more stealth forms of resistance may recruit good feelings, like gleeful excitement, happiness and a sense of calm, making it more difficult for demarcation.
After, you’ve recognized it and put it on notice, the next step is to change it, love it, enjoy it and keep moving.
For instance, if you are on your way to a meeting that is part of your individual plan to move forward, and you get a flat tire on the highway. This is unexpected. You did not include time for a tire change in your travel plans. You may be mad, upset or feel like crying to the sky, “Why!?”
In that moment when you feel the rub, tap your temple (or whatever your trigger is) and shout (aloud or not), “Stop!” (#1)
Then change it; tell yourself a positive version of the story from a different perspective, like, “Wow, even though this looks bad, inconvenient and is holding me up, this… Yes, even this, flat tire is for my highest and best.”
Then continue, “I know the resistance meant this to discourage me, to keep me from my evolution, but it is actually for my good because there me an accident up the road that I am not involved in.” And keep stretching the idea positively forward until you’re actually grateful and happy about the mishap…
Then continue onto your scheduled if you make it to the meeting late, don’t beat yourself up about it. You looked adversity straight in the eye, resisted the resistance and continued to evolve on your own terms. You emerged victorious.
Vive la resistance!