Resistance is Futile

Resistance is Futile

Like a true love relationship, the relationship with Spirit progresses, deepens, challenges one to be more than one could have ever been if traveling the Path alone.

Spiritual work is not all butterflies and unicorns. Often it is at first, as Spirit courts the Soul to get the reluctant earth plane personality on board. That is the honeymoon period.  And it is what is one can find in many New Age advertisements that promise delights that appeal to the ego and lower body desires as you slowly find yourself becoming a workshop junkie, or a crystal junkie or any other kind of  quick fix to feel good….. for a bit.  The true work is driven by something bigger than one’s brain.  Spirit leads one to ask questions that one could never even imagine to ask, and offers opportunities one cannot “manifest” (a favorite New Age promise—take my workshop and you can manifest—money, weight loss, a lover etc) because what Spirit offers you is beyond the imagination of your puny human brain. Came to believe in a Power Greater than myself……is the first step in all 12 step programs. And it is a universal truth in all Spiritual Soul growth.  And you don’t “come to believe” one time.  Our culture pounds us daily with messages that everything one does, one does alone, overcoming all obstacles in life, by our self (sometimes thanking Jesus). Part of our practice and discipline includes remembering to turn it over--- over and over again. Come to believe that a Power Greater than our Self can lead us to…..evolution, resolutions, insights, growth, love, and so much more. 

But then there is that pesky obstacle… resistance. The left brain (which is needed for earth life) can control one’s outlook of the world, determining the horizon and what we will consider possible within the bounds of “reality”.  This limits one’s world, one’s horizon, and shuts out miracles. After all if one tries to dictate the reality of a miracle…..it is no longer a miracle.  Resistance, over time, can feel like Reality making it even more of a pesky obstacle because it is now invisible, something we accept and never question, like gravity.  This is like a person living in Hell.  Working hard, this person changes apartments or homes, changes jobs and friends, however, all this activity is still occurring in Hell.  For some, this can go for the entire lifetime.  Tell the person living in Hell there is another neighborhood, say a beautiful beach town, that person cannot possible conceive of this and will consider this a lie or the delusion of a crazy person.  Resistance is very often like this…one is resisting without conscious knowledge or even effort, simply disregarding other realities automatically because they do not fit into one’s current paradigm (one’s concept of “reality” and how the world functions).  A second stage of this kind of deep resistance is when one “wakes up” and realizes they have been living in Hell, but still sees no other options or any way to move out of Hell. This stage can be excruciating and can be the time when one gives up in resignation or frustration.

Moving out of Hell usually occurs after one is crushed by some event or series of events making current life conditions completely unacceptable forcing one into a kind of do or die situation…. move out of Hell or die.  Spiritual cultivation sensitizes one to energies and Guidance usually allowing one to pay attention to changes coming in, and developing enough faith to follow Guidance rather than waiting for this extreme pressure.  Either way, I have yet to meet a human who has not encountered this kind of transition.  I opt to move forward voluntarily as the do or die option can take years to recover. Spiritual cultivation usually involves working with a Teacher (or teachers) and this transition can get tricky.  Moving out of Hell, into a better more loving environment can be terrifying.  Like a lifelong prisoner getting out of lock up, all the old social cues will no longer be relevant making it hard to know how to get along with people or even sort out feelings. If you are used to guards, enemies, punishments etc. and that it is all you know (especially if you have become very good at negotiating all of these) it is extremely difficult to risk feeling vulnerable in any way, shape or form.  In addition to getting scared and running back to familiar territory, Hell, if working with a Teacher (or even a therapist) one will often turn and attack one’s helper as a way to displace fear just like a pet will bite a beloved owner who tries to rescue a terrified cornered pet.  Don’t let this potential bump in the road discourage you.

The great news with all of this, is once you have made it out of Hell, conquered the anxiety and fear of adapting to a more joyful, loving, stimulating, life filled with miracles and the security of trusting both Self and Spirit, you will be able to do this again and again and again. Each time getting easier even to the point of one looking forward to new moves, to evolution, to a deepening of the connection to Spirit and the miracles this brings.

Journey On