Resistance: The Safe but Miserable Choice for the New Year

Recently, a client talked to me about the word and the experience of resistance. She felt that she and so many others had really resisted embracing 2022. After a couple of really rough years, people were hesitant to go forward and fully embrace 2022. How did that work for them? Well, they never fully owned the year, what they wanted, or how they were going to get it. In resistance, we deny ourselves happiness, acceptance, true love, and growth. Resistance is safe, but it’s certainly not fun.

Resistance is also really normal. Who doesn’t avoid or resist making that doctor’s appointment or getting to the dentist or to that annual exam that isn’t so enjoyable? We resist it by avoiding and delaying. Understandable, but not very good for your long-term health and well-being. Resisting fully walking into a new year or a new event or a new challenge keeps you from ever really owning those things, and thus you never getting the chance to see if you would have enjoyed them.

What if 2022 was supposed to be a big year for you, but you got scared and resisted putting yourself into a scary world? It’s a world that is risky and also filled with rewards. Resistance is tiring, draining, and takes a lot of mental manipulation and energy. It’s like trying to resist falling asleep when you are dead tired. It’s miserable.

What if 2022 was supposed to be a big year for you, but you resisted putting yourself out there? The world is scary but also filled with rewards. This year, try taking some risks. #resistance #risk #goals #fear Click To Tweet

So, what are you resisting in life? What are you avoiding, denying, fearful of, maybe even slightly terrified of? What’s the worst thing that can happen if you push through that resistance? You’ll fail? Get rejected? So what? You’ve lived through that in the past and you’ll live through it again. Resistance makes perfect sense for toddlers, that’s what they are supposed to do. But you are a grown-ass adult and resistance doesn’t make any sense. Get out there and take some risks! You don’t have much to lose.

Love,

Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC