Resistance as Trickster

Sidewalk art by Lydia Ishmael

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To write a book takes a lot of love toward ourselves and the world. Even though there is a limitless amount of love available, we need to do what it takes to tap into this love and accompanying energy.  That's because with any meaningful project comes resistance. 

Resistance arrives along side something that you want to bring to the light, to life.  This new life, this book or other creative project or action must push itself through the dark soil of doubt and fear. Push itself through the damp aloneness and make the choice to trust that there is light there, if I just keep moving my life forward.

Push through the belief of insignificance. 

Resistance is a Trickster.  She arrives with all her baggage, all her hindrances and patterns. But she is only  present when there is something worthwhile wanting to get to the light. The bigger the resistance, the more tricky she is, and, the more meaningful the action. She's actually the soil for our intentions, dreams and projects.  

Resistance can come to as us as patterns like the one of us getting into other’s business rather than attending to our own life. ("Oh I have to focus on this, instead of my book.")

Resistance can come as fear of success, or failure, or fear of mistakes or that someone won’t like what we write or do. ("I don't think I can actually pull this off. And if I do, who cares about what I have to say?")

Resistance comes in the form of laziness, giving into patterns, over eating or drinking, watching one too many reruns. ("I deserve to just let everything go, life is hard." "I will maybe get to this later.") 

When understood as a friend we discover the Trickster Resistance brings with her the need to get to work. She insists that we bring to the world our gifts. The gifts we inherited at birth. Remember, the greater the gift, the stronger the resistance. And, a warning here. Resistance doesn't just go away.  Ever. She is that soil to push through every time you are about to give up to doubt, or give into patterns. 

Consider your dreams and intentions. Consider what is bothering you now about the conditions of the world. Consider the projects you've started. Consider your inherent gifts.  Notice the flavors of resistance that surround them.  Understand them as the soil of your project and ideas.  Love yourself enough to push through the fear, aloneness, darkness and doubt. 

Now get to work. 

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Want some help moving through resistance?  Sign up for my personal MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR WRITERS:  HERE.

Photo by poet Mokasaya