What We Resist Will Persist: Facing Challenges to Break Free from Struggles
There’s a universal truth that says, “What we resist will persist.” It’s the idea that when we avoid, deny, or push against something difficult in our lives, it doesn’t just go away—in fact, it often grows stronger. Resistance feeds the very challenges we’re trying to escape. When we ignore uncomfortable feelings, difficult situations, or unresolved pain, we’re holding onto the struggle rather than moving past it.
Facing what we resist isn’t easy, but it’s essential for growth, freedom, and lasting peace. Let’s explore why resistance causes more problems and how learning to confront what we fear or avoid can break the cycle and lead to a life of resilience and empowerment.
The Cost of Resistance
We often resist things that make us uncomfortable: fear, difficult emotions, failure, or the pain of our past. But here’s the catch—resistance doesn’t solve anything. When we avoid facing challenges or emotions, we’re only burying them temporarily. The unresolved feelings or situations don’t disappear; they linger, waiting to resurface at any moment.
Here’s how resistance can impact your life:
Creates Inner Tension: When we resist, we’re constantly pushing against something inside ourselves. This inner battle creates mental and emotional tension, which can lead to stress, anxiety, or even physical symptoms.
Strengthens What We Avoid: The more we resist something, the more power we give it. When we try to avoid an uncomfortable truth or emotion, it’s as if we’re feeding it energy, making it even harder to ignore.
Limits Personal Growth: Growth comes from facing challenges, not from avoiding them. Resistance keeps us in a place of stagnation, preventing us from evolving, healing, and moving forward.
Causes Repetitive Patterns: Unresolved issues have a way of reappearing in our lives until we confront them. Whether it’s a toxic relationship pattern, recurring self-doubt, or unhealed trauma, what we resist will keep coming back until we face it head-on.
Why We Resist in the First Place
Understanding why we resist can help us start breaking the cycle. Resistance often stems from fear, pain, or a desire for control. We resist because:
We Fear Discomfort: Facing challenges means stepping into the unknown and often experiencing discomfort. It’s human nature to avoid pain, but this avoidance prevents healing and progress.
We Want to Control Outcomes: By resisting, we think we can maintain control over what happens in our lives. But control is an illusion, and trying to hold onto it only intensifies our struggles.
We Don’t Want to Feel Vulnerable: Facing our pain, insecurities, or unresolved issues makes us feel vulnerable, but vulnerability is necessary for genuine healing and growth.
Once we recognize the reasons behind our resistance, we can start making conscious choices to confront what we’re avoiding instead of letting it control us.
How to Break Free from Resistance
Breaking free from resistance requires a willingness to step out of our comfort zone and confront the very things we’re avoiding. Here’s how to start facing your challenges and moving past them:
1. Acknowledge What You’re Resisting
The first step is to identify what you’re resisting. This might be a difficult conversation, an uncomfortable feeling, or a part of your past that you haven’t dealt with. Take an honest look at the areas in your life where you feel resistance.
Ask yourself:
- What situations or emotions am I avoiding?
- Why am I resisting these challenges?
- How is this resistance affecting my life?
2. Accept Discomfort as Part of the Process
Growth and healing don’t come without discomfort. Accept that facing what you resist will likely be uncomfortable, but it’s a temporary feeling that leads to long-term peace and resilience. Remind yourself that discomfort is part of the process and that you’re capable of handling it.
3. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness helps us observe our feelings without judgment. When you feel resistance, take a few moments to sit with it, observe it, and notice where it’s coming from. Recognize that resistance is just an emotion; it doesn’t have to control you.
Mindfulness practices, such as deep breathing, meditation, or journaling, can help you explore your resistance from a place of calm awareness rather than avoidance.
4. Take Small, Intentional Steps
Facing resistance doesn’t mean diving headfirst into the things that scare you. Start small by taking manageable steps toward the challenges you’re resisting. For example, if you’re resisting a tough conversation, begin by writing down your feelings. If you’re avoiding self-care, start by committing to one small, healthy action each day.
Each small step builds confidence and reduces the power of resistance over time.
5. Reframe Your Perspective
Instead of seeing the things you resist as obstacles, reframe them as opportunities for growth. Resistance is often a signal that there’s something important on the other side. By facing what you’re avoiding, you’re giving yourself the chance to grow, heal, and create a better future.
Ask yourself:
- What can I learn from this challenge?
- How will facing this help me grow or heal?
- What’s on the other side of this resistance?
Embrace Freedom by Releasing Resistance
When we face what we resist, we free ourselves from the cycles of fear, avoidance, and unresolved pain. Embracing life’s challenges, rather than resisting them, creates a life of resilience, peace, and fulfillment. The discomfort of facing resistance is temporary, but the freedom it brings is lasting.
Imagine a life where you’re no longer running from what scares you. Where you’re not held back by fears or past wounds, but instead, you meet every challenge with courage and a willingness to grow. This is the life that awaits you when you stop resisting and start embracing.
Take the First Step Toward True Freedom
Are you ready to stop letting resistance control you and start living a life of intention and courage? Book Your Free Discovery Call Now and let’s work together to break through the barriers of resistance that are holding you back. Start facing what you’re avoiding and experience the peace and growth that come with true freedom. Don’t let resistance keep you stuck—take the first step today.