Resistance

“Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream”  Did you learn that song as a child?  I remember singing it in rounds; one group began the song, followed by another group, then another chimed it.  Everyone was singing the same song, but not in unison (was that harmony or chaos?!)  The lyrics for the song came to mind when I began to think about the video I wanted to post today.  The video is about resistance.  I’ve been told what we resist persists.  Resisting what we don’t want seems to keep it coming right back at us.

A couple of years ago I felt completely overwhelmed by technology.  I didn’t want to use social media to keep up with friends and loved ones.  I didn’t think I needed a “smart” phone.  I just needed to be able to talk to people, for goodness sake.  I was resisting what was coming at me so fast and furiously.  I told my friend I wished I could move out to the country and just plant a garden.  I wanted life to be easy. I wanted the world to slow down, but it kept spinning faster and faster.

One Sunday afternoon I drove to Washington D.C. to have lunch with my son, Ryan.  Washington is about 2 hours from where we live. I had only been to the place he was living once before, but I have a good sense of direction and was certain I could find my way.  For some reason, I hadn’t printed out directions or taken a map.  I made it to the general vicinity, then found myself all turned around with no idea which way to go.  I called Ryan and asked him to guide me from where I was.  I gave him the cross streets.  He said, “Mom, use your GPS.”  I said, “Ryan, I AM my GPS and I’m lost!”  The next week I went to my cellular provider and bought a device that had GPS.  Now that was easy!

The song says, “Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream”, not furiously up the stream against the current!  One of my calendar pages today read, “The right way is right, because it meets less resistance and is therefore easier than the wrong way.”  The other one said, “Life’s magic is a lot like a swift flowing river.  No matter how long you’ve overlooked it or unwittingly swam against it, the instant you stop struggling you’re back in the flow.”  Wow, could be any clearer?  When I changed the way I was thinking and stopped resisting, life became so much easier.

If I hadn’t chosen to be open to the thing I was resisting, I’d still be lost!  I wouldn’t be able to send this message to you either!

What are you resisting?  Is there something you think is making your life more difficult?  Could it possibly feel easier if you stopped pushing back?

…..Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily.  Life is but a dream.

I’m pretty sure those rounds all ended in unison.  Hmmm.  That’s something to think about. I HOPE your day is flowing nicely!

Kellie

P.S.  I would be very honored and grateful if you would share this message with someone else, or maybe lots of people, today, too!