What My Resistance Is Trying to Tell Me

We all know the feeling when you intend to do something, to finally take that step forward when suddenly, your mind floods with reasons why not yet. You tell yourself the conditions aren’t right, you’re not ready, you need to think it through a little more, you need to prepare.

Photo by Colin White on Unsplash

Resistance wears many disguises: procrastination, perfectionism, self-doubt, excuses, or timing, to name a few. It shows up as scrolling instead of starting, as over-preparing instead of creating, as exhaustion right when inspiration knocks.

Most of us are taught to push past resistance. We are told to outsmart it, out-discipline it, or power through it. But what if, instead of treating resistance as an obstacle, we treated it as a messenger?

Resistance, at its core, is protective. It rises up when something matters deeply. It whispers, Stay safe. Don’t risk the unknown. Don’t invite disappointment or failure or change. It’s the part of us that remembers old hurts or past failures and is trying—sometimes clumsily—to keep us from repeating them.

When we pause long enough to listen, resistance can tell us exactly what part of us still needs reassurance, safety, or rest. So, the next time resistance shows up, instead of fighting it, try listening to what it has to say. Ask it what it’s afraid of. Let resistance write to you.

Writing Prompt: Write a letter from your resistance. Let it speak freely—about its fears, its motives, its desires for you. Then write a short reply back, offering the compassion and clarity it’s been waiting for.

You might be surprised by what it has to say.