Showing posts with label making peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label making peace. Show all posts

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Understand Resistance, What's the Message?


Kathryn J. Raths, LLC photo

I used to deny my resistant feelings and push them away as I felt the discomfort, but today, when something is nudging me from inside, it raises my awareness. Then I self-examine to better understand what is going on with me. I go into reflection mode to ask myself a lot of questions.

Is something triggering me that I need to work on? My feelings may be driven by unresolved past issues. For example, I had a bad experience with someone, and suddenly a new person might remind me of the person in my past. If that is the case, it isn't necessarily a problem with the new person, but my unresolved past is projecting into the present and possibly blocking me.

Another question I consider is, "Am I resistant because of fear?" I can get anxious when pushing forward in unchartered territory in my life. I must work to enable my logical self to surface when this happens. Rational thinking can sort out misbeliefs or worst-case scenario thoughts, and positive self-talk helps me handle anxious situations. Still, it can charge the anxious energy if I am not careful or purposeful.

Finally, sometimes my resistance is my intuitive self surfacing and trying to navigate away from something that isn't in my best interest. I call this celestial intervention, and I genuinely appreciate the insight. It is important not to underestimate gut feelings, so, in this case, this resistance is a good thing.

My work on surrender and self-attunement has helped me navigate such a powerful feeling. Can you share your thoughts about resistance? How do you handle it? 

It is helpful to consider your feelings as messages from your mind/body. Check out the Mental Health Coalition to learn how to respond to your feelings.