When negative self-talk is your guide
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When negative self-talk is your guide
Leveraging the voice thats holding you back
On a daily basis you think:
“I don’t feel like cooking that healthy meal.”
“I don’t feel like going for that walk outside.”
“I don’t feel like reading before bed.”
You have these thoughts often enough.
You know you should probably start doing these actions, but you don’t.
What gives?
Steven Pressfield wrote about a force that works against us in his book, Do the Work, which he dubbed “Resistance.”
1. Resistance (i.e., fear, self-doubt, procrastination, addiction, distraction, timidity, ego and narcissism, self-loathing, perfectionism, etc.)
Grouping so many negative labels as Resistance with a capital ‘R’ is a great way to personify what we are feeling.
It gives us a common enemy. One that we can recognize, embrace, and overcome.
The thing with Resistance is that it’s a part us. It’s not something to avoid.
Otherwise you’ll just feel worse about yourself for feeling, well, not very good.
It’s easy to think that all these highly motivated people don’t face Resistance, and because you do that you’re a bad person or aren’t good enough.
Well that’s not the case.
Everyone has Resistance living within them. How it looks, when it shows up and what it sounds like is different to all of us, and changes depending on the situations we find ourselves in.
In regards to practicing healthier habits on a daily basis, we can definitely all feel it. But it’s an interesting perspective shift here:
Resistance is telling you where to go next
Pressfield explains:
“Like a magnetized needle floating on the surface of oil, Resistance will unfailingly point to true North - meaning that calling or action it most wants to stop us from doing.
We can use this.
We can use it as a compass.
We can navigate by Resistance, letting it guide us to that calling or purpose that we must follow before all others.
Rule of thumb: The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.”
What are you to do?
Take action, despite the feelings.
Because oftentimes these voices are merely holding you back from your real potential.
Practice the healthy habit because you must. Because it’s a part of your true North.
Resistance is holding you back, but it’s unintentionally telling you exactly which direction to go.
Which path will you choose?
Self-reflection
How does Resistance look in regards to your health and fitness in your life?
When does it seem to present itself more often?
When it has a voice, what does it sound like and what does it say?
What can you do to overcome Resistance today?
When negative self-talk is your guide
Many times the resistance will be as a result of a feeling state. And yes, over riding the feelings can yield results. However, the feelings can also herald clues to more profound personal growth. There will also be instances when you cannot over ride what you are feeling. In these times having a process and strategy for emotion regulation is key.