Resistance or Resilience?

On a particularly damp fall morning walk with a friend, a lone majestic flower caught my attention.  Almost fluorescent in color amidst a sea of autumn leaves, it clung to a nearly bare branch, prompting me to question the notion of resistance vs. resilience in my own life (and frankly how to tell the difference).  I guess it’s all a matter of perspective, in the same way that the glass is either half-full or half-empty.What happens when we hold onto something that isn’t serving our highest potential and in turn, try to convince ourselves otherwise?  Why is it, that much of what we hold onto is merely out of comfort and the familiar?  Since when does discomfort begin to fit like an old worn-in bedroom slipper you simply cannot part with?  It can apply to any aspect of our lives – our relationships, our work, our finances, our self-care (or lack thereof)….’cause, let’s face it, when we are walking in denial, there is not a lot of self care going on.  Let’s call it like it is.I’m getting better at it.  I’ve learned the long, hard way that when something feels out of alignment – it is.  It’s as simple as that.  We can choose to aimlessly carry on robotically in our lives, or figure this S*#T out.  If you sit around waiting for things to magically realign, you may find yourself on hold.  In fact, it’s so much easier to simply ask – SELF, what’s really going on – what’s at the core of this stumbling block…and why am I here AGAIN?I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a do-er, a fix-er, a hanger-on-er, a believer in all that is possible.  Yet at the same time, I don’t like to give up, give in or let go, so sometimes that means that the Universe has to use severe tactics to get my attention.  Giving up often feels like defeat.  It’s bad programming that needs to be re-scripted.  The wisdom is in knowing when to let go, when to give yourself permission to take an about-face, when to retreat and when to push forward – in other words identifying when it’s time to fight the good fight.Herein lies the grace, the place where we call ourselves out.  Do we embrace the flow or should we just blame everything on Mercury in Retrograde?  The push / pull emotion we experience comes from resisting what is.  Release it in faith – with a knowingness that something else awaits you around the corner.  Sometimes it may turn out to be the exact thing you have been dreaming of.  Until we can walk in trust, we cannot feel our full capacity and potential in the world.  We are not meant to operate in resistance and discomfort.  Resistance is a pit stop, a red flag, a call to attention.So the net / net – perhaps the muscle I need to be flexing a bit less, is the “should” muscle – that pops up when resistance rears it’s ugly face.   For example, when your computer locks up – maybe it’s just time to step away from the desk.  No one is going to award you the Red Badge of Resilience Courage for sticking around and banging your fists.  Go for a walk, take your parents to brunch, do something spontaneous, or simply sit back and observe.  What if we were to invest faith in the divine timing of things?  Flex the should-free-resistance-free faith muscle.  Take a pulse on what’s going on around you and then feel out your next steps.  There are no “wrong” turns, there are just turns.  Rest assured, if you stop at a crossroads and ask yourself which way to go, you’ll know which way to turn.  Resistance appears in hearing the answer we may not want to hear.Release the grasp on that which is slipping through your very fingers anyway.  Something beautiful is awaiting you.  Walk in faith sprinkled with stardust.  Be resilient in following your inner voice on the bumpy path of life - resistance requires too much damn work.  Exhale and carry on.