Resistance and Change

People don't resist change.

They resist being changed.

~Peter Senge

When life becomes too uncomfortable, we realize the need for change.  We notice that we have lost our passion or our footing is no longer secure or a relationship is deteriorating.  We are aware that by doing the same thing over and over, using the same approach or resolution, the outcome will remain the same. 

With the awareness of needing to change, we begin to explore options that will alter what is no longer working for us.  Too frequently, however, we begin to look outside of ourselves for the change when true change occurs within the self.  With every attempt to change all that surrounds us, we are ignoring the heart of the problem.  We are projecting our issues onto others and expecting them to alter our lives.  Our expectations of others is clearly resistance to our own personal change. 

Friends and family may support us  in our desire to change.  They may encourage us and assist us as long as we don't change our relationship with them.  This is simply a mirror of how we may be feeling ... everybody needs to change except for myself.  This may work briefly, but it is not a long term solution.

It is during self-evaluation we discover what is no longer serving us, what is truly dead to us.  It is similar to weeding a garden.  We must pull out the weeds and deadhead what no longer holds energy so there can be a rebirth.  New growth slowly pushes itself up through new fertile ground.  We must get rid of the old in order to welcome in the new.

Resistance is simply fear.  Our desire for change must be strong enough that we are willing to step through the resistance, the illusion of fear.  When the old has died away and the new has yet to sprout, we will feel very vulnerable.  We will be challenged during this space where the future is unknown, but it is an opportunity to strongly believe in the strengths of the inner self and the good that has yet to come.