Do you experience resistance toward your awakening?
There is a lot of focus on inner resistance, and I focus on that a lot in my writing too – because that is the resistance we have the most control over.
- We can see it and take action anyway.
- Or observe it and allow it to take us deeper – to the belief that’s behind the resistance.
Because when we have resistance toward something we want to do on a conscious level, there is always something deeper that we need to look at.
But there is also external resistance.
This resistance can come from friends, colleagues, family, or even culture.
When we start changing and taking better care of ourselves or becoming happier, or when we become less interested in what we used to do and more interested in the awakening, the people around us can become triggered.
People usually become more or less triggered when someone they love (or want to control) starts to change.
The resistance can be obvious, such as people telling you to give up your dreams or lower your standards or giving you negative or belittling comments about what you do.
But it can also be a lot more subtle. Your friends may exclude you from the group in subtle ways. They may also stop calling you as soon as things begin to go your way or create problems to get your attention. They may also belittle you in different ways.
Others may support you as long as you are struggling but withdraw the second you begin to succeed.
We can work on ourselves and how we respond
Resistance is part of the spiritual path and part of life. And we can work a lot on how we respond when it happens.
When we react to the resistance, we get to see our own insecurities and attachments, and by working on them we can free ourselves. One day, we may even discover that we don’t go into the resistance anymore.
So, the resistance can help free us from old attachments.
When working on yourself is not enough
But sometimes, that’s not enough.
Sometimes, when we don’t give external resistance our attention anymore, the people who used to be able to draw us in use other ways to do it. They may talk negatively about us to someone we love or try to make a group of people see us negatively. They may also withdraw completely.
This can be very painful. And it is very real.
But sometimes, people on the spiritual path who are genuine themselves believe that if they just work on themselves enough, just explain enough, or just do enough, the people around them will understand or be happy for them.
But unless the people who are resisting our progress or change change themselves, they will usually not understand or be happy. At least not for long.
Accepting that (accepting things as they are and what we can’t change) is maturity.
And with that acceptance comes the possibility to choose.
Resistance or other challenges will always be there in some form, but we can choose not to be around people who put up resistance like that.
Sometimes, we need to cut all contact. Other times, it is enough not to be close or tell them too much – and instead try to find others who support us in what we are doing.
We can also choose to only share our inner life and dreams with those who are happy for us.
And with people who take full responsibility for their reactions and behaviors.
People who are emotionally mature and supportive.
