Resistance as a Guide
La resistencia como guía
A question about how resistance and avoidance can signal the direction most worth exploring, and how childhood beliefs often underlie that reluctance.
Resistance as a Guide
A question about how resistance and avoidance can signal the direction most worth exploring, and how childhood beliefs often underlie that reluctance.
If something is the opposite of what flows easily, if it's a desire you feel you have to pursue but there's resistance to it, how does that play out? Is that a place to start looking?
The distinction would be: when there is resistance, look at why, and look at what the risk is. You can imagine things you want, but you don't really want them, and so there will be resistance. In that case, there isn't yet enough clarity.
Resistance as a compass
But yes, resistance is usually where the proper direction lies, more often than not. You can consider resistance as the place where there is fear or pain. It is a good sign, especially worth exploring. You might explore and realize there isn't a lot of energy there, not a lot of genuine interest. But it's a good way to start breaking through mental patterns and beliefs. The direction is always to explore what you truly want. And if you want it, you might have resistance.
Joseph Campbell described it as "following your bliss." And following your bliss feels vulnerable. It feels risky. It has a quality of risk and scariness.
I sometimes think the ego doesn't want to do it because there's a hurt underneath it, or behind it. There's a reason for the resistance. It's a place the ego doesn't want to go: asking for help, or marketing your skills. You're fearful because it may take you back to childhood, to beliefs and filters that were formed in childhood. I think it's a very valuable place to go, right at that point of resistance. You can sit down, meditate, and go there. What's behind this? Why am I feeling this? Where did I feel this before? There's gold there.
Exactly. Exactly.
I think of the ego as a bubble that just wants to float. Anything it touches, it pops.
Yes.