Resistance and Freedom: Ebb and Flow

“We change like the weather, we ebb and flow like the tides, we wax and wane like the moon. We do that, and there’s no reason to resist it. If we resist it, the reality and vitality of life become misery, a hell.”

~Pema Chodron.

This past year I’ve been exploring this thing we call Resistance as it shows up in my life and the lives of friends and clients. This general sense of “stuckness” we label and attempt to eradicate is a force field that manifests and shifts its shape and sucks us in.

We can begin to believe the voices that convince us of one of two things: that we will fail at whatever we want most, or that we must fight force with force.

But often there’s a simpler path, the path of least resistance, which can take us into the flow of our best lives. Unfortunately the inner bully that can get a hold on even the most sane of us will have no part of a “flow.” It would much prefer some crazy, undoable, hard-edge scheme. Then (of course) we have to rebel because our Real Self knows about the flow. This enrages the bully more and then we’ve created our own miserable Quicksand in the nether world between ebb and flow.

And so it goes.

Unless.

Unless we remember to be very kind with ourselves and to take a hint from nature. Unless we remember the old movies where those who struggled were doomed to be swallowed, flailing arms and legs hastening their inevitable demise.

Unless we remember to allow for the ebb and flow, the waxing and waning.

To notice where the flow is … and cooperate.

To do that, to even notice that a creative flow is with us, means that we need to get simple.

To sit down and notice. To be there with the ebb … and observe it, stay. And watch. Until there’s more flow.

To … just … do … the … next … thing … to listen and show up.

This is the way through the quicksand.

It’s that easy. And that difficult.

Until we remember the simplicity of Just Doing The Next Thing.

And do it.

Here’s to the ebb … and flow … your life. May simplicity show you the way.

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