Momentum and Resistance
The human experience is a series of moments that are constantly in motion. We experience highs and lows at our own pace, and sometimes we can be at a low point for an uncomfortable amount of time. I personally go through phases where the ups and downs are shifting rapidly, and I’ve been up and down multiple times throughout a single day. I find that I’m more comfortable when things are moving quickly because I don’t have time to slow down and feel into the depths of my strife. When time slows down and I’m up one day and down the next, I struggle to maintain balance and I often find myself trying to escape the low moments and emotions that I would rather avoid. During these times, forward progress, no matter how small, is essential to help me get through the struggles. Finding a way to move forward, even one step, saves you from feeling powerless or hopeless when you’re waiting for the next moment that will make you feel joyful and at ease.
As long as you keep going, you’ll find yourself on top again and you’ll experience deep relief and find a sense of serenity on the other side of your chaos. If we imagine that life is a rollercoaster, and we can feel our own momentum as we travel along the path that’s laid out before us, we can begin to conceptualize what our life’s journey might look like from another perspective. If we could see the entire rollercoaster from the sky, we might not be so intimidated when we’re sitting at highest point waiting for the inevitable drop. We’re not meant to have that bird’s eye view as humans, and our lifespan is really more like a series of rollercoasters at different theme parks that sometimes feel like they’re on different planets. If we can begin to appreciate the slower parts of the ride that build suspense and intrigue, we can let go of our obsession with the rush that we get from feeling like we’re on top of the world. Becoming addicted to the high robs us of appreciating the low.
Our perspective is limiting us if we are constantly categorizing all elements of life based on our understanding of duality. This mindset makes us prone to making quick judgments about whether things are good or bad. We must begin to see that all parts of life are necessary and happening for our benefit in some way. The messy and difficult parts of life serve us even more than the light and easy parts. If the high points aren’t good and the low points aren’t bad, each moment of your life holds the same value. Once we see that difficulties occur to make us stronger and help us to let go of our fears and baggage, we can find a way to get through them without getting stuck wallowing in our misery. We have to feel our emotions and hold them in order to let them go, but it’s not necessary to wallow in them for days or weeks at a time. Sometimes we can feel our way though things in a matter of minutes. We get to determine how quickly we move through our healing journey by choosing to cultivate momentum or resistance with our decisions and behaviors.
We choose ease of flow when we stop bracing for impact internally, which feels like letting off the brakes even when we feel like we might be careening out of control. Life isn’t always about a smooth and easy decent with a soft landing. Sometimes we have to crash a few times so that we can appreciate how durable we really are. When life knocks you down and you immediately get back up for another round, you’re demonstrating to the universe that you’re ready for the next level. When you can feel your sorrow without letting it swallow you whole, you’re able to get going again much faster. This is why small consistent efforts bring us where we want to go in the most balanced way possible. We don’t always have the energy for big moves when we’re drowning in the depths of our darkness, but if you can find the will to do one small thing, you can begin moving forward again. You might feel like you’re being pushed to the brink, but what if you’re really just being pushed to the tipping point that will propel you into the next chapter of your life?
It takes a lot of courage to allow yourself to plunge forward into the unknown, but it’s the fastest way to get where you’re going. You don’t need to worry about what’s coming next because you’ve been prepared for that along the way. We often don’t feel ready for the next chapter until we’re already living in it, and we get to decide how long we sit in the discomfort of our old chapter by choosing momentum or resistance. Making one small change for the better can set off a chain of events that will truly transform your life. We choose our future with the decisions we make in the present moment, and choosing bravely inevitably brings us to new heights. Live as if your life depends on your decisions because it actually does. If you want to move forward into your new life, you must start acting like the new you, and you must trust that you will end up exactly where you’re meant to be as a result.