Resistance vs Allowing
Change is Possible
Podcast Summary
Life rarely unfolds exactly as we plan. There are moments when things feel out of our control, when emotions arise that we’d rather not feel, when the unknown stretches before us like an open road with no map. Our instinct in these moments is often to resist—to tighten, to hold on, to fight against what is. But what if the real power lies in allowing?
In this week’s podcast episode, Resistance vs. Allowing, we explore the tension between these two forces. Resistance is a natural reaction, but it often creates more struggle than relief. It’s the internal battle between what we want to happen and what is happening. And the more we resist, the more tangled we become in frustration, fear, and exhaustion. Allowing, on the other hand, is a radical act of trust. It’s not passive—it’s a deep acceptance that life moves with or without our permission. Allowing is meeting each moment as it is, without needing to change it. It’s letting emotions rise and fall, rather than suppressing them. It’s opening ourselves to the possibility that even challenges carry hidden gifts.
In this blog, we explore the nature of resistance, how it impacts personal growth, and tangible ways to shift from resisting life to embracing it. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a cycle of struggle, this conversation might be the invitation you need to soften, breathe, and begin allowing life to unfold with more ease.
Understanding Resistance and Allowing
Resistance is a force we all encounter. It’s the voice inside that says no before we’ve even considered saying yes. It’s the instinct to push away discomfort, to grip onto control, to resist life when it doesn’t unfold the way we expected. Resistance shows up in our thoughts, our actions, and our emotions—it’s the hesitation before stepping into something unknown, the tightening in the body when we fear change, the mental pushback against emotions we don’t want to feel.
In the podcast episode Resistance vs. Allowing, we explored how resistance is often a defense mechanism, rooted in fear and the desire for certainty. When we resist, we create tension—not just within ourselves, but in our lives. We hold onto old stories, we avoid difficult conversations, we ignore inner callings out of fear of failure. But the harder we resist, the more exhausted we become. Allowing is the opposite of resistance. It’s not passivity, nor is it about surrendering to a life we don’t want. Allowing is about meeting each moment as it is—without judgment, without forcing, without controlling. It’s about softening into experience, opening to emotions, and trusting the natural flow of life. This shift doesn’t happen instantly, but each moment of allowing creates more space for clarity, healing, and peace. The practice of allowing teaches us that we don’t have to fight against life; we can move with it.
Impact of Resistance on Personal Growth
Resistance, at its core, is an attempt to maintain control. We resist discomfort because it’s unfamiliar. We resist emotions because they feel overwhelming. We resist change because it threatens the identity we’ve built. But in doing so, we create barriers between ourselves and the growth we seek. We discussed how resistance often masquerades as logic or self-protection. We tell ourselves that we’re being careful, that we just need more time, that this isn’t the right moment. But underneath, resistance is fear—fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of losing who we are. And the longer we resist, the longer we stay stuck. Growth requires movement. Yet, resistance keeps us circling the same patterns, replaying the same stories. It keeps us in relationships we’ve outgrown, jobs that drain us, habits that no longer serve us. It convinces us that staying where we are is safer than stepping into something new.
But resistance doesn’t just keep us stagnant—it exhausts us. It builds tension in the body, stress in the mind, and frustration in the soul. And yet, the moment we shift from resisting to allowing, everything opens. The fear is still there, but it no longer controls us. We start to see challenges as invitations, emotions as messengers, change as an ally rather than an enemy. Growth doesn’t come from force—it comes from allowing.
Strategies to Shift from Resistance to Allowing
Moving from resistance to allowing is a practice. It’s not a single moment of surrender but a daily choice to soften instead of tighten, to trust instead of control. In the episode, we explored practical ways to make this shift, starting with self-awareness.
Notice Resistance in Real-Time – Pay attention to when your body tenses, when your mind argues, when you instinctively say no. The more you recognize resistance, the more power you have to shift it.
Breathe Through Discomfort – Resistance often manifests physically—clenched jaw, tight shoulders, racing heart. The next time you feel it, pause. Take a slow, deep breath. Let your exhale be longer than your inhale. This signals safety to your nervous system.
Reframe Challenges as Growth Opportunities – Instead of seeing obstacles as threats, view them as teachers. Ask: What can I learn from this? This mindset shift transforms resistance into openness.
Let Go of the Illusion of Control – Not everything is meant to be controlled. Trusting life’s unfolding—however uncertain—creates space for flow.
Practice Self-Compassion – Resistance often stems from fear. Instead of fighting yourself, meet resistance with kindness: It’s okay that this feels hard. I am learning. I am growing.
Conclusion
Resistance is familiar. It’s comfortable. It tells us we’re in control. But the more we resist, the more exhausted we become. We hold onto old stories, outdated fears, versions of ourselves that we’ve long outgrown. And yet, the moment we shift from resisting to allowing, everything changes. Allowing is not weakness—it’s trust. It’s meeting life as it is, not as we wish it to be. It’s understanding that growth happens in the discomfort, that emotions don’t need to be fought, that uncertainty isn’t something to fear. It’s a deep exhale, a loosening of the grip, a willingness to let life unfold. The transition from resistance to allowing isn’t instantaneous. Some days, we will fight it. Some days, we will resist. But the practice is in noticing—pausing in the moment, breathing into discomfort, choosing to let go rather than hold on. Over time, this shift changes everything.
So the next time you feel yourself resisting, ask: What if I didn’t fight this? What if I just allowed it to be? You might just find that the peace you were searching for was never in the resistance. It was always in the allowing.
