“Our job in this life is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it.”
― Steven Pressfield
Resistance
How many times have you experienced resistance?
That time when you wanted to do something but you procrastinated thinking that you will have time later to do it?
You chose to do something else that provides more instant gratification.
Resistance comes in many forms and procrastination is one of them.
Yielding to resistance, I have been there many times.
It’s a constant struggle.
Resistance beats me because it allows me to do anything but the very thing that I should do the most.
Take this article for instance.
I have watched countless movies before I decided to sit down and write it.
Knowing that overcoming resistance is an important topic, I still procrastinated and did everything possible to avoid writing it.
But every time I oppose resistance and do what I want to do the most, I strengthen my discipline.
It’s a punch to my resistance’s face.
Because one of my values is contributing to the world by helping you, I experience fulfillment since I’m living my life aligned with my values.
Happiness is just a byproduct of that and my continuous growth.
However, I feel dissatisfied and depressed when I give into resistance and turn away from what I want to do the most.
Doing my work (writing this article) not only helps you with your problems, but it also helps me with my craft.
This grand opportunity allows me to practice my writing skills and further ingrain the idea of overcoming resistance into my mind.
I write this article for my sake even if no one reads it.
Furthermore, I would be selfish if I don’t share my gift with you.
Why You Have Resistance
Resistance is the invisible enemy that stands in your own way of doing what you truly want to do. In his book The War of Art, Steven Pressfield correlates fear and resistance.
“The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.”
― Steven Pressfield
When you truly want to do something, the hardest part is not doing the work itself, but finding the time to do it!
If you want to exercise, the hardest part isn’t the exercise itself, but finding the time to do it.
If somehow you got to the gym, then doing the workout becomes easy.
It’s the initial resistance of getting into the car and driving yourself to the gym that prevents you from exercising.
Every time you give into resistance, you feed into its hunger.
It becomes more powerful and harder to deal with.
Preventing you from doing your work is resistance’s only goal.
Dysfunction, aggression, and depression are the results of you constantly giving into resistance.
This happens because you’re not doing what you truly want to do.
These emotions arise because of your love for the thing you want to do the most.
Otherwise, you would feel indifferent regardless you did the work or not.
You will have the biggest resistance when it comes to long-term growth, health, or integrity.
For your health, you have resistance to improving it by forcing yourself to eat healthily and exercise.
But you have no problem reaching for that bag of chips and not exercising.
That’s because the more important something is to you, the more resistance you will have towards it.
Since your health is important to you, you resist eating healthy and exercising.
In contrast, becoming unhealthy is not important to you, hence you have no resistance to eating unhealthy and being lazy.
How To Combat Resistance
The only way to combat resistance is to simply do the work.
There’s no other solution.
You must overcome the amateur mindset and adopt the mindset of a professional.
These ten qualities below are what make you a professional because you:
- Show up every day
- Show up no matter what
- Stay on the job all day long
- Commit over the long haul
- View the stakes are high and real
- Exchange labor for money
- Don’t identify yourself with your job
- Master the technique of your job
- Have a sense of humor about your job
- Receive real-world praises and blames
Do these traits sound familiar?
They should because you embody these traits for your current job or business.
The truth is that you’re already a professional!
All you have to do is apply this to anything else that you want to do.
May it be your aspiration for playing the guitar, writing your book, or drawing that painting that you have put off for years.
You have to put in the work and not just dabble in it when you feel like doing it.
Empowerment, fulfillment, and happiness are the results of doing what you truly want.
Closing Thoughts
You have two lives.
One is the life that you’re currently living and the other is the unlived life within you.
Resistance is what stands between the two.
Learn to cultivate discipline and don’t let resistance control you.
Train your awareness to recognize resistance in its many subtle forms.
Eventually, you will be able to remove resistance from your life.
Deep down you know what you truly want to do.
Fear is the only thing that stands in your way.
Resistance craves fear because fear is its biggest ally.
But don’t let fear stop you.
You must pursue your dreams despite fear.
Your biggest fear in life has to do with your primal reason for survival.
But ask yourself, “What is the worst that can happen?”
Whatever that is, you can handle it.
Go pursue your dreams!
You have a gift inside of you.
Don’t be selfish and share it with the world.
Your creative inner artist is begging to come out.
Let him add a spark to the world.
The world craves it.
The world needs it.
Lean into your fear and overcome resistance!
I am on a mission to help as many people as I can. But I can’t do that without your help. If you have a second, please share this article with anyone who you may think will find it valuable and helpful.
Thank you very much! I greatly appreciate it!
Do you want to live purposefully and become the most powerful version of yourself? If so, start with your free gift down below.
