The Control & Resistance Cycle.

We as humans, need control. Our mind needs control. We want to control when things happen, why they happen, and how they happen. Control is rooted in fear, we are fearful of what the outcome may be if we are not the one deciding. Control is a result of being attached to a specific outcome, assuming we know what serves us. When something happens, our mind will label this is as good or bad, bringing up emotions correlating. We believe something should or should not have happened. This is our mind and ego attempting to take control of the situation. Less mind = less self creating pain. 

There is a great truth that the key to overcoming suffering and pain is to find stability in oneself. When emotions arise that we don’t want to deal with, we attempt to escape them. This is rejection. In order to rid yourself of these negative or intense feelings, you must accept and observe them. Notice these feelings, allow them in, feel them, and detach from them. As you practice this, you will soon grasp the concept that these feelings are separated from your soul and have no control over you. You will notice how quickly these feelings subside. As you continue to reject the natural elements of life, you are training your mind to feel negatively. Fighting creates more of what we don’t want. What you resist, persists.

Our egotistic mind does not like the idea of releasing control. Our egotistic mind does not want to trust the process and trust our Universe. If our mind believes something went not accordingly, we go crazy trying to think our way into some sort of scene that makes sense to our minds. We need some sort of reason or validation of why things had to happen the way they did – rather than allowing our life to unfold as it’s supposed to with trust. Sometimes we are not presented with the reason why things unfolded the way they did until later. 

Even during our spiritual growth, our mind still craves the validation that we are doing things correctly. We want a complex spiritual path that gives our mind structure with all sorts of techniques. Although these are all great tools, they have nothing to do with the process of releasing control and resistance. You have to let go of trying to achieve any sort of outcome, and allow to be. 

Expectations and yearning are how our mind rejects the natural unfolding of life. Things that seem unwelcoming, tend to reveal themselves as our greatest teacher. We assume the worst, rather than trusting our foundation to be laid out. Once we allow ourselves to move through discomfort and pain, we are training ourselves to overcome. Dropping inner resistance means to trust yourself, to let go of the mechanisms that create your own suffering. 

XOXO

Beautiful photography by Kennedi Carter