Resistance Is a Prison without Bars

Resistance is the emotional equivalent of “I Don’t Want THIS.” How many times a day do we bump against this one? What can we do about it?

Resistance feels bad. In fact, at times it feels as bad, or worse, than what you resist. At the very least, it amplifies the negative energy you’re feeling, which is fear-based in one way or another. When you amplify the energy you feel, you amplify your transmission of it to the field that matches your transmission, as though it was an order that you’ve placed to be filled. (Please keep in mind that this works for positive energy, as well.)

I found myself facing this when things were not going as I would have preferred in a particular instance in my life, and appeared to be possibly escalating. Resistance welled up in me. Imagined undesired scenarios were called forth by my ego-aspect. I could practically hear my ego-aspect shouting, “No, no, no! I don’t want that!” Fortunately, I realized what I was doing. Fortunately, I understand, even though I temporarily forget—especially when I’m feeling strong emotions, that what is resisted persists. That whatever energy is transmitted gets matched. That resistance never makes me feel better, only worse.

So I told myself what will be will be, and that if there was any more to say, think, or feel about this, it was best to ask for the strength and wherewithal to step up to the plate and perform to the best of my ability at the inner and outer levels, if stepping up did become required of me. This eased the energy, and what my ego-aspect wanted to resist didn’t manifest as fully as it might have…this time. In a bit, I explain why “this time” is important to include.

Resistance is very much like pressing on a bruise or a wound and complaining that it hurts to do that. Why do we resist? Maybe it’s because we focus more on what we want and don’t want than on how we want to be and don’t want to be like. Do we actually resist events or do we actually resist how we may be during and as a result of events? Are the two independent of each other? These questions are worth pondering.

Maybe we can help ourselves if we deepen our understanding of what we resist and why, because there’s more than one form of what-is that we resist. Let’s take a look at them so we can more easily identify them when they surface.

Of-the-moment what-is: This form is what’s happening in the moment we’re in. If it’s not what we prefer or desire, we resist that it’s happening at all. But what we need to remember is that while an event is happening, the dynamics are still in motion. The outcome is not necessarily a given; so we have a level of flexibility to shift our perspective, the dynamics, and the outcome. Resistance to what’s happening won’t get us where we want to go or lead us to how we want to be. Choosing how and who we want to be will.

What-is du jour: When we wake each day, this form is the one we believe reflects the predominant state of our life. It’s the one we can replace resistance to with acceptance that what has already happened has happened or is in play at this time, an intention to shift it, and a plan we follow to shift it or us, whether the action energy of this is inner, outer, or both.

What-may-be: We resist this form because we feel not in control of the dynamics, and we don’t like that feeling at all. It’s the one where an understanding of how Law of Attraction works would serve us, though this knowledge and practice serves us in any of the what-is forms. This form is one where our reliance on Trust in Source and ourselves would benefit us, as well as Trust about what will be: there’s always more going on than just what we see close up, and all things end and result in new beginnings.

What-will-be: We share “reality” with others who have their own dynamics in process and progress, as well as their own beginnings and endings; with Mother Nature; and with what goes on in the universe beyond our Earth home, which is where “this time” fits in. Resistance is a waste of energy here. Better to prepare and strengthen ourselves at both the inner and outer levels, but especially the inner. It’s also when “What can I do?” or “How can I help or be of service?” are questions that can guide us through the dynamics and the outcomes. We may not feel good about events that unfold, but we can choose to do what causes us to feel integrity toward ourselves in relation to our thoughts, words, and actions as they relate to events and shifts.

What-was: This form is often confused by our ego-aspect with what-is du jour. We call it the past, and we resist it, even though the only thing there is to resist in real-time is the thoughts we engage about what-was. Granted, results of what-was may affect or influence what-is du jour, but our resistance to what has happened or what has changed from what used to be, often rules our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions—energies we could put to better use to create as much of what we prefer at the inner and outer levels of our experiences of ourselves and life.

Resistance, especially sustained resistance, is a prison without bars. Resistance keeps us from seeing the truth about what we are truly capable of, what our true strengths are, and how creative and supportive we can actually be. It causes us to forget we are co-creators, that we are compassionate, that we are never alone (Source is always, always with us), and that there is always a bigger picture in play. Resistance is a mental, emotional, spiritual, or life-experience prison we put ourselves in, a prison that we alone can release ourselves from.

Resistance happens and it’s understandable why it does, because it is ultimately about feelings: the ones we don’t want to allow into and as our experience. However, we don’t have to let it run or ruin our experiences and our lives. When you feel resistance, maybe it will help you to identify which form it is so you can understand why you’re feeling it, which can help you figure out what to do about it so you can free yourself from its Velcro-like grip on you.

Realize that your life experience is not as much about how you want to feel as it is about how you want to feel about you. Then you’ll be able to tune into conscious awareness, or choose to do so, so you make decisions and take actions from head-and-heart alignment rather than resistance-reaction. The two most powerful aspects you can aim for, and which can assist you out of resistance, are genuine appreciation and integrity. It’s a good practice, one you’ll appreciate.

Practice makes progress.

© Joyce Shafer

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Joyce Shafer is a Life Empowerment Coach dedicated to helping people feel, be, and live their true inner power. She’s author of “I Don’t Want to be Your Guru, But I Have Something to Say” and other books/ebooks, and publishes a free weekly online newsletter that offers empowering articles and free downloads. See all that’s offered by Joyce and on her site at http://stateofappreciation.weebly.com