what you resist persists

When I decided to be a doctor, I didn’t realize that I would become a student of human suffering.

I mean, in hindsight it seems obvious.   But I guess I figured it would mostly be physical illnesses.

I had no idea how intertwined stress and suffering were with physical health.

Mind, body, spirit: You can’t separate them.

One area I’ve been studying recently is a concept originally described by Psychiatrist Carl Jung, “What you resist, persists”.

And at first, I didn’t think much of it.  Seemed like something you’d put on a coffee cup.

But the more I thought about it, the more it came up in clinical scenarios.

Ever wonder why the more you want to lose weight, the harder it seems?  Well, that’s because what you resist persists.  The more we fight against things, the stronger those things become.

So what’s the answer? Give up?

Kind of, but not quite…

The answer lies in Acceptance.  Not defeat.

Acceptance of your situation allows you to face your problems and embrace the immediate suffering.  It gives you time to collect your thoughts and figure out what you really want.

Instead of fighting against something, fight for something.

Learn to make sacrifices for your ultimate goals.  And let go of needing results.  Instead, just let it be.

How many of our problems could be solved, if we could free ourselves from anxiety?

Many people are trying to go with the flow, but what they really need is to break free.

This doesn’t mean compromise or give up.  It means being flexible enough not to break.  And strong enough not to shatter.

I have a friend that struggles with methamphetamines.  He uses, feels guilty, gets clean for a few weeks, then the cycle repeats.  The more he tries to “quit”, the more he uses.

So to handle this problem, we quit trying to quit.

Instead, we focus on building a better life.  We focus on his goals.  His dreams.  His relationships.  The further he goes on this path, the further he gets away from identifying himself as nothing but a meth-head and the less likely he is to relapse.

It’s not easy.  And it doesn’t happen overnight.  But it works.

What about you?

What are you resisting in life that seems to be over taking you?

Would a new approach be better?