Resistance is futile. ‘We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to serve us. Resistance is futile.’ As said by the Borg in Star Trek!
If you aren’t a Star Trek fan, you may be more familiar with the words of Carl Jung who said, ‘what we resist persists.’ This theme plays out in every area of our lives. When we feel pain, emotional or otherwise we want to resist it, yet the very act of resisting means it will persist. The resistance we create within ourselves, between our conflicting thoughts of what we crave and what we know is good for us, can be huge assassinators of our success, happiness and fulfilment, an ultimately, health. It seems the Borg knew this by their phrase, resistance is futile.
Why what we resist persists
The word ” persist” means “to continue something in spite of opposition”. While we require a degree of persistence in our lives, a critical ingredient to achievement and success. Persisting in things that we resist (especially in our minds), becomes a double-edged sword; it takes on a different meaning.
Where in your life are you resisting something? What results are you getting because of your resistance? I personally had to learn this lesson about resistance being futile, the hard way. Years ago I didn’t understand this concept, and the more I resisted and battled my problem, over thinking it, feeling the turmoil, the more I was locking in these negative feelings. One day, as a result of an overland of toxic thoughts and feelings, my body literally broke down and it was only at a crisis point I had to stop to seek alternative solutions. (The flip side of this is, it was this event that triggered an amazing journey that bought me to what I do today!).
Why resistance is futile?
A classic and common illustration of ‘what we resist persists’, is when you decide to start a diet, give up drinking, or give up smoking. For some reason, you start obsessing over the very thing you can’t have. You hear that persistence voice (sorry it does belong to you!) that says it wants another piece of chocolate cake, and that other voice saying no I shouldn’t. Then begins an inner battle with the ‘for’s’ and ‘against’s’, and before you know it, you are at war with yourself, having your own Star Trek internal battle. We persist the thing we know we shouldn’t have but secretly want. And, as you:-
can’t think about what you don’t want to think about without thinking about it, the toxic cycle continues
Huna philosophy states ‘energy flows where attention goes,’ and the Law of Attraction states that ‘like attracts like’.
How to beat The Futility of Resistance.
When you become aware of what you are resisting, by becoming aware and observing your inner battles, voices and feelings, STOP for a moment. Take a moment to reflect on what you are resisting and be aware everything has an equal and opposite force, just as in Star Trek.
Then, simply acknowledge it, laugh at it if you can, and gently take your focus off this issue. Ask yourself what is the opposite of this? If you are obsessing over chocolate cake ask yourself what you would like instead and if you are angry about something ask yourself how you would prefer to feel?
By focusing on something else, you shift your awareness and energy, and the thing you were resisting, ceases to persist at such an intensity. If you do this consistently, you will feel lighter, happier and healthier. All of this will positively impact on the results in your life.
To finish in the words of Rumi:-
The moment you accept what troubles you’ve been given, The Door will Open.
Simple!
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