Saying yes is simple – not easy. I know this from personal experience! How many times and ways have I heard similar messages: Don’t resist, what we resist persists, acceptance frees our energy, saying no blocks it.. again and again.
Saying Yes to the Universe (now there’s the full meal deal, eh?), is the title of one of the recent Daily Om mailings. It resonates deeply with me. Have I gotten it? Not totally, but I am happy to report there is significant progress.
Reflecting on my life, it’s abundantly clear that I have spent significant energy resisting…wanting things to be different; having judgements about people, places, things; pointing fingers, struggling with what’s happening… Was that satisfying? Momentarily maybe, but in the end, not really. Did it lead to clarity and efficiency and efficacy? No, although there is a certain energy to pushing back, feeling like I’m right and things should be/go my way. But in the end, as I’ve matured and integrated my life lessons and learnings and the teachings that I’ve followed, guess what? It turns out that resistance is one of the least effective ways of being on the planet, getting things done, growing, deepening, opening the heart, maturing… and it certainly stands in the way of contentment, ease, and happiness.
Saying yes is simple – not easy. Yes is another way of saying accepting. The opposite of resistance is, after all, acceptance. I hasten to add that acceptance does not mean condoning. Whew! That is key and critical. (I’ve actually addressed the topic in previous posts, Yes! Yes! Yes! Acceptance Changes Everything. We teach and offer what we need to learn!). I repeat: Have I gotten it? Not totally, but I am happy to report there is significant progress.
What does it feel like not to resist, to let down the walls of pushback and to simply be with what it is? Well, it feels really good, once I realized that it doesn’t mean I become a doormat and don’t take any action. It frees me, it opens my heart, it means I can step up and step forward and act from a place of clarity and presence.
Saying yes instead of no, accepting instead of resisting… what do you think? I’d be interested in your experience. Forever, and as always, we’re in this together!
Jill Schroder is the author of BECOMING: Journeying Toward Authenticity. BECOMING is an invitation for self-reflection, and to mine our memorable moments for insights, meaning, and growth. Check the website for a sample chapter, or see the reviews to get a flavor for the volume. Follow me on Twitter, let’s be friends on Facebook 🙂
