Persistance: What We Resist Persists!

It was renowned Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung who taught us that whatever you resist persists. What he meant by that is the more you resist anything in life, the more you bring it to you. 

 

This is so true, resistance absorbs so much time; resistance to something still holds a place in your thoughts. You try putting it off or removing it all together, whatever it may be for you, in turn we inadvertently give it power, it then persists! A simple example: you want a piece of chocolate (surely we’ve all had this desire?) but you think, I can’t, I shouldn’t, I won’t. All this time what’s at the forefront of your mind? The chocolate! 

 

The opposite of resisting is to embrace and confront it, allow it to be (of course this goes deeper than the chocolate). If we do this it will move through more naturally without holding persistent attention. This isn’t always easy especially with things we don’t like, at work, household chores, painful memories, yet just like with our anxious thoughts, if we stop forcing them to leave, they will naturally move on. We all must face and do things that aren’t pleasant: resistance to these things allows us to be consumed by it. Having acceptance and living in the moment, being with what is here, not resisting – allow it to be and it will pass through easier. Denial is a temporary fix; those underlying forces always surface. 

Simply acknowledging takes some of the resistance away: in time whatever you are resisting will become easier. Resistance is a psychological reaction to change, it’s often the change that we fight, not necessarily the task in hand. You don’t need to tell yourself you can’t have it, or that you must resist it. Start by seeing why you chose not to have it or don’t want to face it yet. Acknowledge how you feel and allow these feelings. 

 

Living mindfully, aware of feelings and thoughts rather than allowing them to take over does free your mind. You’re not resisting anything – you are noticing what is, without judgement. See if you can allow something today to be as it is, get on with it, sit with it, don’t resist it – whatever it is that comes up for you, in turn it should resolve quicker and not persist.