Resistance is Futile, Instead, Go with the Flow

I don’t know about you, but I have a real problem with resistance. There is always a battle going on in my head as I try to push negative emotions out, avoid uncomfortable situations, or resist my current circumstances.

Always Waiting for Something to Be Over

Frequently, I feel like I am just in a holding pattern waiting for something terrible to pass. I think many people are mentally and energetically pushing against the thing they hate, and it is exhausting and futile. All this resisting and avoiding only keeps your focus on the very thing you don’t want and keeps it in your experience longer.

My daughter openly admits to feeling resistance when people tell her what she should do or suggest things that would be helpful. I guess it runs in the family.

Resistance Only Delays What We Really Want

Resistance is never good. It only keeps us from what we want that much longer. All the spiritual gurus talk about this concept that ironically the best thing we can do is stop resisting, and then finally we get the result we want. So why does it feel so natural to fight everything?

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know I have always felt a sense of fight in me. I was born a strong-willed person who always had to fight for what she wanted. So, I think it is merely an extension of that I now carry into other areas of my life. When something doesn’t go my way, I immediately push back. All this fighting has created a strong belief that I have to keep fighting and what I really need to do is let go, accept and go with the flow.

Instead, Go with the Flow

My best friend keeps reminding me that it feels so much better to “go with the flow” instead. The funny part is that I used to say that to him all the time, now he’s using it on me. He is notwrong, and I need to hear it, so I never get upset. Instead I try to slow down and let everything play out as it will.

Think of it this way. You are in a bad situation with your job, an unhappy relationship, or just life isn’t going well, and you are rowing your tiny boat upstream by resisting. Once you turn that boat around, you will naturally flow downstream effortlessly without expending any energy at all, and it will feel better. Plus, things will get better as God/The Universe helps you find a better way once you start letting it.

Sometimes it just means accepting that what you are going through will pass on its own time, maybe not your schedule, but it will pass. Lean into the faith that you and God/The Universe has this. Acceptance feels so much more peaceful than resistance, so why not give it a try?