On the Other Side of Our Resistance...
Is a treasure waiting for each of us. All we need is to loosen our grip to claim its magic blessings.
The mystic has seen that the meaning of being alive is just to be alive. . . . It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves. —Alan Watts
If you’ve wondered why anyone would want to dial it down when life might be more exciting in the fast lane, consider this simple fact: It’s because you’re missing the show!
Eat a meal too fast, and it’s no secret that you don’t connect as well with its nourishing effects, the flavors, the people who prepared it, the people you’re eating with. Rush through a “tedious” daily task like folding laundry, or putting dishes away, and you miss out on the calming, meditative effects that a simple housekeeping practice offers.
Go on a wild binge of clearing out a closet and you miss out on the opportunity to identify garments that truly make your heart sing, or to lighten your load from the inside out and connect with the reasons you’re holding on in the first place.
In a very counterintuitive way, slowing down can actually lead to greater productivity. As one student shares here:
I’ve noticed an unexpected ease and patience with clearing things and thoughts. Inch by inch we are making space in our basement. I’m typically an impatient person, rushing from one project to the next. I’m slowing down. What a relief! In the past I would have given myself a weekend to do the impossible. Or just not do it. All-or-nothing mentality. Now I’m just giving what I choose to give. And it is still getting done. I’m witnessing a more spacious life.
It takes time to soften resistances that are deeply embedded in our physical, mental, and emotional attachments. We need time to rewire a brain that goes into fight-or-flight, time to grow new habits that feel really good and create lasting change. On the other side of our resistance is a treasure waiting for each of us. All we need is to slow down enough and loosen our grip to claim its magic blessings.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Except that there’s one more (very big) detail.
Slowing down by itself isn’t going to get us very far in clearing if we don’t include the one thing that makes it all work: awareness.
Taking the time to observe resisting patterns as they arise—without judging them—is the secret to clearing them. 1
Ahhh 🏡
Week 5 — Slowing Down Challenge
What you’ve just read comes from “Soften Resistance,” Chapter 5 of A Year for You — the book we are using to cultivate the first of 5 steps to spaciousness: slowing down.
The extra goodies below — with weekly nudges from me and access to this community — is being made available to all paid subscribers.
It’s not too late to join us.
Learn more about the “Spacious Way to a Lighter You” clearing series HERE.