A few thoughts about some things to expect ANY time you engage with the work of true healing and transformation:

Resistance tends to get activated whenever our soul begins nudging us to take a risk, make a change or step into the unknown.

The possibility of transformation both tantalizes and terrifies us and doing something we have never done before can leave us quaking in our footwear of choice.

So resistance teams up with our anxiety and convinces us that taking action in ANY form is a monumentally bad idea.

And we stay stuck, stumped and stymied around making longed for positive shifts in our lives.

When this happens we need to remember that fear is a TOTALLY normal and natural part of the expansion process. Feeling fear doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t expand and it certainly doesn’t mean that anything is wrong.

When fear shows up it DOES need our attention which includes cultivating BIG doses of compassion to tenderly hold and be gentle with our fear. But fear is always a call to action which means mobilizing the energy of courage to help us move forward towards our hearts longings.

Fear also tends to grow in isolation. 

When we’re left alone with our runaway anxious thoughts, fear tends to expand instead of our desire. It can take up WAY too much space in our minds and hearts and convince us that it is the undeniable, one-and-only truth. When we are all alone and haunted by our fear demons, the idea that we have any capacity to be courageous AT ALL seems ludicrous and our bright and shiny dreams become that more and more distant impossible dream. 

It’s really challenging to face down fear on our own. Which is why it is absolutely ESSENTIAL to be part of a community of like minded folks who are engaged in the same bravery project to cheer you on, remind you that fear is always a liar and provide much needed no-holds-barred encouragement as well as demon fighting when necessary.

Resistance to change and transformation is also most often framed as a problem around doing. We WANT to take action, but we find ourselves paralyzed and simply don’t pick up that paintbrush, or make that phone call or book those tickets or have that honest conversation for some unfathomable reason that we don’t understand.

We forget that resistance most often stems from not being wiling to be fully present to wherever we are. Our ability to act is ALWAYS connected to our emotions. And we can’t take effective action unless we are grounded in the core of our being and the reality of what we truly feel.

So the next time you find yourself avoiding taking the next step around something that you know you really want or need to do, ask yourself this question:

How are you resisting your passion? Your longing? Your anger? Your hunger? Your joy? Your grief? Your vulnerability? Your deepest desires?

If you take serious action towards manifesting your dreams what are you afraid you will lose? Is it a long standing way of being? A treasured identity? Comfort and security? Other people’s approval? 

And are you willing to fully feel that loss? To risk dying to an older version of you so that you can be reborn again into something shiny and new?

If the answer is yes, you have an amazing journey ahead of you filled with new adventures, wildly blooming creativity and a whole new experience of freedom and power and connection to your truest self.