What do you resist? When you have a thought or an emotion that you don’t want, you typically try to resist it. The interesting thing about resisting an emotion or thought, is the more you resist it, the more you focus on it. The more focus you give it, the more friction and tension you create. The more tension you create, the more stress you feel. The more stress you feel, the more problems you have. This becomes a cycle of having a thought or a feeling that you don’t want, attempting to resist it, and then going through the range of emotions again. The more you try to get rid of it, the more attention you give it. The more attention you give it, the more you hang onto it. So then, how do you learn to let go of something, and not resist it?

The more we try to overcome an emotion, the more we resist it, which creates tension, making it harder to get over. The more we try to resist it, the more it intensifies. We have to learn to let go, and to switch our focus onto something else.

I’ve recently been going through a Headspace meditation that includes a visualization exercise. Basically, you visualize light above your head, filling your body. then you rest in that visualization. There’s (much) more to it than that, but that’s the 50,000 foot view. Once the light fills your body, you can focus on that feeling of spaciousness & calm. It’s not about resisting stress or anger, but rather focusing on something completely different that calms you. Your thoughts and actions aren’t about the negative thing you’re trying to resist, but rather making room for better things.

Using a timely example of the Trump impeachment, we can see this principle at work. Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, there’s a lot of negativity around Donald Trump, the Republican party, the Democratic party, and Mitt Romney’s lone decision to vote for impeachment; a decision that he said was based on his personal beliefs and values, and Donald Trump’s treatment of Romney for his decision. There’s so much to unpack politically, but let’s put that aside for a moment.

Regardless of the political side of the spectrum you reside in, there’s something to be upset about here. You have two basic choices as a response. You can either be upset about whatever it is you’re choosing to be upset about based on your political leaning, or you can try to not be upset by it.

Being upset by it and resisting the urge to be upset by it result in the same thing – a feeling of discord and anger. Using the principle of redirecting your focus, we can find the space and ability to move on. You can choose to MAKE ROOM for that spacious feeling of peace and light, or you can resist and hang onto those feelings that you know don’t make you feel good.

You can choose progress from a place of peace, love, and respect. You can even move forward with a sense of passion when you let go of those negative feelings. You can choose to act on these positive emotions and ideas, rather than acting on emotions of anger, resentment, or distrust and potentially doing and saying things that are designed to hurt others or bring them down.

As a nation, and even as a world, we’re being divided. There are metaphorical and physical walls being built to remind us of just how separate we should be. We’re being shown what we should focus on. When we act from a place of anger, resentment, and distrust, we only further divide ourselves. When we try to resist it, we only hold onto it even more. If we could take a moment to MAKE ROOM for who we really are, rather than who we’re being designed to be, we could move forward together with a sense of trust, love, and healing.

We would find we have far more in common than we do at odds.

Honestly? I’ve been really upset about the whole thing. Choosing to act based on my own priorities took some thought and effort. It was only found through my daily practices that I’ve established with my own MAKE ROOM Journal and Planner. Meditation, journaling, and then planning my day based on my priorities helped me to take action in a way that hopefully isn’t harmful and is intended to be healing in nature.

You can experience this same type of shift by having a journal of your own.