Resistance is futile...

Resistance is futile, yet we all do it all the time. Why such madness? Where did we all collectively get the idea that we should avoid anything that was uncomfortable? Most of the time I don't even realize what I'm doing, but I've been practicing Awareness for some time now so every now and again it kicks in and this morning I caught myself being joyous in the kitchen -- completely unbidden!

A little back story here, so that doesn't sound totally weird: I cook ALL THE TIME. Following the Autoimmune Paleo diet for my heart, trying to figure out what my youngest can and can't eat for her digestive problems as well as not neglecting my eldest and my husband's tastes means food planning and prepping has taken over my life. As you might expect, I have a certain amount of resentment (resistance) surrounding the amount of time I spend in my kitchen. It makes me crazy. I tell myself, while washing up yet another massive sinkful of dishes, that it's not fair, that there are so many other things I'd like to be doing, that it's boring, that I never have time to do anything for myself…. You know how it goes. You have your own version, I'm sure. And then I feel crappy. And tired. So tired.

But it's not all the cooking and cleaning up that is making me feel that way. It's my resistance to the job at hand. When I stop fighting it and instead decide to throw myself into it, pulling out a stack of cookbooks (I love cookbooks!), getting creative and making a big, glorious, delicious mess, I am happy as a clam. And energized. Not tired. So not tired. How can that be? Well, because at the end of the day it really doesn't matter what you do, only how you do it.

So, what element of your life are you resisting? Here's a clue: what do you complain about to yourself? Listen out for the negative running commentary in your head. Is it about work, your boss, the gym, your aunt whom you should visit more often, the diet you're trying to stick to, some element of parenting that is your particular bugbear? We all have areas of our lives that feel like a grind. This week I challenge you to pick one and figure out a way to just accept it for what it is. Drop the good/bad labelling, drop the resistance. It's something you have to do anyway, so just for one day actively decide to welcome it, however you can. Gratitude is helpful here. I read somewhere that if it's laundry you hate, you can be grateful that you have clothes to wear; if it's paying taxes, be grateful that you have an income. You get the gist… Or you could just go all Mary Poppins and figure out a way to make it fun. See if you can do whatever it is with grace and then note how you feel afterwards. You may be pleasantly surprised.