The past four weeks leading into 2016, I shared my thoughts and suggestions on intentions that could serve the body, mind, and soul in order to tap into your true self. The reward in discovering your true self is the ability to live out your destiny, who you were born to be, and deliver the unique gift that only you can offer.
Getting clear about what is needed in 2016 to serve your body, mind, and soul is the beautiful part of this process. It’s the days ahead that get messy. That’s what I want to talk about today – The messy part. My friend and gifted designer, Christine Terrell, recently reminded me of the book, The War of Art. While this book was written with writers in mind, it is really THE handbook everyone needs as they face the constant battle to practice their gift. This book will serve you right now as you attempt to put in to actions any of the various intentions I shared in my last blog series.
Setting the intention to be more you
Setting intentions for your body
Setting intentions for your mind
Setting intentions for your soul
The intentions that feed your body, mind, and soul – The ones that inch you deeper into your true being always face a barrier between the idea as a concept and taking action. That barrier is RESISTENCE.
I immediately identified with The War of Art from my perspective as a writer. I have set some pretty lofty goals for myself these first two months of 2016, one of which leads to a lifelong dream of publishing my first book. I gifted myself in 2016 with the commitment of an additional early morning writing session each weekday from 6-7 am. It was at 5:55 this morning, as I first opened my eyes, tucked in under my duvet that I met RESISTENCE. “Oh, Hello,” I said, “Funny you would show up!” In the short span of five minutes of waking, RESISTENCE rallied with a host of very logical reasons why I did not need to meet that commitment , actually, today. I first reasoned that I was ridiculously warm and cozy, my office was not, and possibly I could outline this post in my head while still in bed. Nice try. I then considered moving the time to later but realizing then that that bumped up against my commitment to swim at 8 am. What to do? I found the more minutes that passed the stronger my RESISTENCE grew. Hmmm. If that is the case, and my enemy RESITENCE is growing stronger, this battle I am engaged in will only take energy from the very intention I set to nuture my soul by writing. With that thought, I reached for my glasses and my feet hit the cold floor.
I share this personal clip with the hope that you will see RESISTENCE is ever present with even the most benign step toward our authentic self. It will show up in all shapes and forms from discouraging friends and/or family members, lack of time, exhaustion, dwindling resources,etc.. It will wear many hats but it is still RESISTENCE and we must face it with fearlessness in order to break through the barrier it sets to our true self. That barrier will rise up when you pass the breakfast taco trailer first on your way to your juice stop, it is present in the cold drizzling rain as you head out for a run, or becomes the voice in your head attempting to prevent you from putting your pencil to the paper to sketch the idea you’ve been pondering.
Knowing that RESISTENCE will come, recognizing it for exactly what it is, and fearlessly pushing through it is powerful. Be fearless today against your RESISTENCE. And then do it again tomorrow.
