Keep this in mind as your week unfolds. That which you resist will become bigger and will continue. I know, I know! It does not seem fair. Yet, it is truth. For instance, if you continue to resist an emotional feeling that creates a lot of sadness within you, your focus will be on that feeling and you will get more of it. We tend to get what we focus on, so resisting is a form of focus upon that which we do not want. Ironically this is how we get more of it. UGH. It could become a never ending circle. So how do you get out of this?
Well, I am glad you are curious! I am too. This is why I love meditation so much. Meditation is not always about clearing one’s mind, but accepting and allowing thoughts to run through the mind and just act like the observer. In this type of mindful meditation we trust and allow the thoughts and feelings to just “be” with no response to them. If we respond, you got it, we get more of the same!
This principle works with EVERYTHING. I believe it was Carl Jung who originally came up with “what we resist persists”. He had a longer version but I think this says it all. So how do you deal with negative thoughts, emotions, ideas, and experiences? You walk through them, trust yourself, trust God, and allow them to come to you. You might find yourself acting upon some of what is occurring but as long as you do not resist or try to push it away, you can find your way to a resolution.
Sound confusing? It really isn’t. Try this. Close your eyes and just breathe. Focus on the breath for a moment and allow your thoughts to just come to you. Don’t resist anything negative, just observe it. If it brings a feeling of sadness, ask God at the moment how that sadness can be resolved within you. The answer will come. It might not come at that moment but it will come. Watch and see! Solutions and growth are what we are all about, not trying to avoid what we don’t want. Growth never comes from avoidance or resistance. Think of your negative experiences and thoughts as a boomerang that never ends unless you resolve to catch it and deal with it.
If you want to build physical muscle you use resistance. Remember this. A muscle gets stronger when you resist it and situations become bigger and stronger when you resist them. Good and bad. This is why unfulfilled attraction always seems the strongest; because we feel forced to resist it. If we let it go and just observe it then it loses its power to control our emotions. I believe many a marriage can be saved, and become stronger, by knowing this. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence because we feel we must “resist temptation”. That resistance only makes us want more of what we should not have. It’s really quite controlling. Don’t allow yourself to be fooled and controlled! Overcoming this type of resistance only makes us stronger in our conviction to maintain fidelity.
This week, deal with something difficult in your life. Don’t avoid it, don’t resist it, deal with it. There is a solution to every issue in life. Seriously, there is.
Loving you from here,
Dr Rev Jenine Marie Howry
Life Lessons by Jenine Marie 