The Pain is in the Resistance

How many times have you started something new on Monday morning and by Monday afternoon you’ve already “blown it”. Sometimes, you even make it to Friday, and then… wine, or whatever excuse throws you off for the weekend. You’re frustrated because you think you really want to change! Really, you want to lose the weight, drink the water, have better exercise or sleep habits. Maybe you’re attempting to shift some of your thought patterns and it’s hard. Then, you feel defeated and convinced, again, that you’re not enough, not good enough, a failure, weak,  or “Insert your own negative self talk here”. 

Just so you know, you're not alone.  The Israelites to 40 years to take an eleven day journey! They were stuck! They weren't paying attention to the plan, the leader, or their heart. You know who else got stuck? Jonah! Jonah got stuck in the belly of a whale for three days.  I don't know about you, I'm thinking one hour would be a long time! Painful!

Does this happen to you?

You’re driving in the mountains to get to your dream vacation spot. My dream spot is at the beach. So, go with me. However, from my house to my favorite beach, the Smokey Mountains must be crossed…

You come across a rickety tunnel, an overpass over a deep crevasse. You start to go into the tunnel. Just like you start that new habit. You have lots of courage. And you really want to get to the beach. Then, a weird noise distracts you. You realize, it's getting pretty dark. And, you can't see the light at the end. You think, "but I want to  go to the beach". Then you hear another noise. Now, you're afraid the tunnel is going to fall apart. However, it's another distraction. The air conditioner in your car goes out. UGH! This is too hard. You really want to got to the beach but, the dark, the noises, no air conditioner, this tunnel, so many obstacles.

You begin to believe, "this tunnel is broken anyway". No, it's not just broken, it's falling apart.  No one told you about the rickety tunnel. Why is this tunnel here, in my way? You’ve been told never to go through this kind of ramshackle tunnel. You start to think, "that's right, my mom told me to never go through a rickety tunnel".

Then, the rest of your thoughts about tunnels and the dark flood your mind. Our family doesn't do tunnels. I’m not smart enough, or good enough to go over through this. Then, you also, decide your friends will think you’re stupid if you go through with this crazy plan.  Now, you're spinning you out of control. On and on inside your head, the limiting beliefs flow forth. Painful.

What are you going to do?

Then, you decide to figure it out on your own. You know there must be an easier, faster or less painful way. So, you back track to find a different way to get to your destination.  Over. Around. Under. To the right of it. To the left of it. Now, you’re getting tired and it’s getting dark.  You decide to try again in the morning.

The next day, you go back to the dilapidated tunnel and discover that it’s more rickety than you thought. Now, it’s an even bigger challenge. However, you suck it up. And you're sure you can find a new way. 

However, you expend a tremendous amount of time, effort, energy and for the sake of the analogy, gas, to figure out a different way to avoid going over the scary bridge. Over. Around. Under. To the right of it. To the left of it. UGH! Painful.

Welcome to Resistance

You're afraid, ashamed, or just angry that you have to go through the dark, scary tunnel. So, you don't, or you keep avoiding it. You decide you'll never make it to the beach, and quit.

How did you get stuck? Re-read this paragraph:

You decide to figure it out on your own. You know there must be an easier, faster or less painful way. So, you back track to find a different way to get to your destination.  Over. Around. Under. To the right of it. To the left of it.

Read it again.

Go back again. Think about Jonah...three days in a whale.

Go back again… Think about the Israelites. Forty years of wandering. How long are you going to wander without asking for help?

Resistance. This is where you get stuck… This is the painful part.  Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. You're approaching the same old problem with the same brain, the same thoughts and same perspective that got you into the problem in the first place.

Solution

Einstein said "we cannot solve our problems with the same kind of thinking we used when creating them". God gave the Israelites a new leader, Joshua, to take them to their destination. And Jonah, he called out to God from the inside of that whale. They needed a new plan.

There is a way THROUGH that dilapidated tunnel. Take a breathe.

Here are the four keys to getting yourself unstuck:

1. A Plan: Proven steps to success. Body, Mind, Spirit.
2. A Faith: In yourself and in God
3. A Community: Humans weren't meant to take this journey alone. Take a friend along.
4. A Coach: Someone with a different perspective, who has been through a similar tunnel.

The Israelites and Jonah called for help. Help was sent in many forms. You must go through the tunnel to get to the dream vacation and the new habits. Shortcuts don't work. Whether you need weight loss, to shift your lifestyle habits, or a complete body overhaul. Reach out. Reach out to God first, of course. Then, reach out to me. I believe your authenticity and spark will glow when you take one hundred percent responsibility for your health - body, mind and spirit. Let's do this together!