For every dream there is a shadow.
The bigger your dream the larger your shadow!
The shadow to your dreams and callings are what you experience as RESISTANCE.
The bigger your dream the larger your resistance. Resistance wants to keep you from taking your life to the next level. It is your Ego wanting you to stay put to feel safe. The Ego doesn’t know anything about NOW or FUTURE possibilities. It makes decisions based on past conditioning and traumas and it doesn’t like change.
Everyone of us experiences resistance.
In “the War of Art”, author Steven Pressfield calls resistance the most toxic force on the planet and the root of most unhappiness. He believes it deforms our spirit. I would agree with him.
“Resistance is invisible, but it can be felt. We experience it as an energy field radiating from a work-in-potential. It’s a repelling force. It’s negative. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work.”
~Steven Pressfield, the War of Art
How many times have you been inspired to create something like a piece of art, write a book, develop a product, join a gym, loose weight, go out with friends, etc. and you’ve talked yourself out of it? And then the inspiration keeps re-surfacing in your mind, making you feel shame, guilt frustration, resentment or badly for not doing, being or having created it.
The ways that resistance shows up to stop you from taking action towards your dream and calling is fear, doubt and procrastination.
Fear of looking stupid, failing or succeeding, loosing control of your life, or being humiliated, vulnerable to judgments, rejected or abandoned. Your fears fuel resistance. If you conquer your fears you slay resistance.
Doubt shows up in your thoughts as “I’m not good enough,” I’m not worthy,” “Who am I to think I can do this?” “This has already been done,” “I don’t deserve _____ (fill in the blank)”…
Procrastination will show up as rationalized distractions and feelings of not knowing enough so you have to go take a course or learn more before you can start. You don’t know “how” so you have to figure out how to “do” everything before you can do it. If you can’t do it perfectly, then it isn’t worth doing at all.
KNOW that fear, doubt and procrastination voices you hear are not your own. It is your ego and the voices you have been conditioned to play out as your own voices.
Self-work: STOP listening to the voices that are not you! Learn to see your shadows for what they are and understand the truth about resistance. When you recognize it for what it is, it will not have power over you and you will take action to create what you desire.
To you empowering yourself to take action and creating your desires,
Marilyn
I have 4 spots left for those of you who have a BIG CALLING
Are you ready to create your DREAM/CALLING and slay the dragon of resistance? I can help! It is not too late to join my Healthy & Wealthy Training.
2 Comments
Fine Print
Marilyn, this article is pertinent to me right at this time. Starting out in my photography business brings out the fears and doubt and it’s only continual awareness of the ego and the power that we all have within us… as Marianne Williamson so eloquently tells us!
Thanks for the support your article gave me this morning after a night of tossing and turning.
Thank you for this feedback. I am so glad I could bring some peace of mind to you. I hope my resources will continue to give you support! Never hesitate to ask me for any clarification or expansion on something you see on my page (or on my youtube channel of Huffington Post) I am always happy to help.