When we’re up against resistance, it may feel like trying to move through a gale-force wind and getting nowhere. Have any of us been in a hurricane or strong storm with whipping winds? What about in our personal life? Were there times when we did all we could to try to move through the windy words and stonewalling of someone else’s resistance to our ideas or ways, yet we got nowhere? In today’s article, we’ll take a look at what nature can teach us about allowing resistance, and rising above it.
To watch this week’s article with additional, bonus content on the Will You Grow Show, please click here and subscribe to the show here.
What is resistance?
Resistance is anything that makes movement difficult. There are two main types of resistance, outer and inner.
Outer resistance is resistance coming from outside of our physical body.
For example, we might experience outer resistance if a tree falls down over the road in front of us while we are driving. There is resistance from the tree to us driving forward. Another example might be if someone at our work or home keeps telling us “no.” There is resistance from the person to us doing as we wish.
Inner resistance, on the other hand, is within.
For example, we might experience inner resistance if we want to hike a five mile trail in an hour, but haven’t exercised in years. There is resistance within our body to US moving forward. Another example might be if we want to learn to meditate, and we’re also afraid of change. There is resistance within our mind, to us moving forward and doing what we say we want to do.
What happens when we encounter resistance?
Our natural instinct is to resist resistance. For example, if resistance in the form of wind blows great gusts at us, we resist the wind by leaning into it. We lean in, and resist the wind resistance. Another example might be if someone said, “You can’t do that!”—that resistant suggestion may provoke some people to lean in and resist by bickering or conquering the activity.
Instinctually, resistance bodes more resistance.
Our natural instinct to resist resistance does not help us rise above it. Instead, it makes it more difficult to overcome. Let’s take a look at ourself for a minute and think of our own example. Think of an area of life where we currently experience resistance. How are we behaving towards that resistance? Are we resisting the resistance? What is the result?
Our inner resistance has a price.
For us to resist anything requires payouts of our precious time and energy. And it does not get us any closer to what we want. To overcome resistance without paying a price, we can allow it. When we allow resistance, we are free to observe how we can overcome it.
We can observe outer resistance, without feeling threatened.
Here’s an example. Like a bird facing into the wind, poised to take flight, it holds no stress, strain, worry, wonder, or tension. It simply watches the wind resistance, and chooses the right time to jump. I call that jumping in faith. The bird simply jumps, letting the wind resistance do the work, without flapping its wings. It uses the wind resistance to allow it to hang and glide. This is how we will feel, when we observe, allow, and utilize outer resistance to our advantage, without feeling threatened by it.
How can we not feel threatened by resistance?
Well, we can quit making it about us. That means we change our focus away from how we are a victim of the wind and what it’s doing to us, such as how bad it is, how fast the wind is blowing, how our hair is getting messed up, or how it’s making us late, etc. Then, we refocus on how we can utilize the resistance to our advantage, and rise up. Just like the bird.
We can learn so much from all forms of life.
Whether we watch a bird, a flower, the water, the sky, a tree, or a bee, if we keep in mind what we’re going through and seeking answer to, and watch how nature handles it, we can learn a lot.
What say ye?
How Will You choose to rise above your resistance? Please share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section so we may learn and grow together…
Always with love,
Leave A Comment