Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Day 3 -- Resistance

On Monday nights as part of our weekly Family Home Evening, we go over our calendar for the next several days. Last night as we did so, my anxiety kicked into high gear. How will I do everything I'm supposed to do and be everywhere I'm supposed to be this week--while doing yoga every day?

In his genius book The War of Art--which I highly recommend to artists, athletes, and anyone wanting to be a force for good in the world--Steven Pressfield discusses the concept of Resistance. There is a force in the universe that opposes every worthy endeavor. The more crucial that endeavor is to your happiness, the harder Resistance will work to keep you from doing it. (Really: read the book. It's life-changing.)

As a writer (and as a mother), I encounter Resistance every day. It never goes away; the battle against it needs to be fought anew each morning. But fighting it does get easier as it becomes something that is prioritized.

For me, Resistance often rears its ugly head as anxiety--sometimes to the point of paralysis. I've learned some tricks to overcome it, and I usually can these days. I just have to be vigilant, both planning ahead and taking things minute by minute.

It helps to be aware; it helps to be accountable. It helps to know the work you're trying to do is important enough that it's catching the attention of Resistance. And the work itself--whether a new chapter or a yoga class--can also help a great deal. One foot in front of the other. One breath, one word at a time. Here we go.

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