Resistance Living vs Cardio Living
Resistance is everywhere. It lives in every bit of creation and is built into the fabric of our DNA.
We feel it in the wind, and when we make decisions. Resistance is the drag on our dreams, and the pull on our doubts.
Resistance either strengthens you, or wears you completely down. It really is your choice.
My daughter-in-love is a powerful woman. Among the many gifts and talents she brings to the earth, a passion for health and nutrition is one. I kid her about burpees.
All. The. Time.
I hate them. She loves them. And I understand why. Burpees work your twitch muscles and strengthen your core. Honestly, I'd rather do planks.
Her favorite workout is heavy-cardio. Mine is weight-resistance. We're headed to the same destination. We just have different paths.
Life gives us the opportunity to live both. A resistance lifestyle-long slow reps with increased weight. Or cardio living-quicker movements. One builds muscle strength first. The other favors cardio strength. Both are important. Each has a season.
Finding the Way Forward
Steven Pressfield's The War of Art is the quintessential treatise on resistance and the creative heart. And hear me on this, I don't mean some particular genre of creativity; but ALL creativity. Whether your passion is pastels or proton molecules. Any realm of discovery and sharing that is a representation of our Creator in us-His image bearers. We can't do anything other than create.
I believe when we hit a wall of resistance; it gives us clues where deeper work in ourselves needs to be done.
Today, as I was thinking about what to write for this week's article, it came tapping at my door. I had a scheduled topic to address, but there just wasn't any spark. And as I pondered why, I realized it was resistance.
Taking the time to look resistance square in the eye helped me understand that though my path was a good one, I needed to address it differently. Resistance kept me true to the creative voice in my heart. And once acknowledged and reviewed, it gave me the path forward. I didn't let it beat me; I let it carry me.
What was the original focus? "Practicing Patience and Perseverance".
The Core of Resistance
In my opinion, Resistance is the flashing beacon of fear. It points out our insecurities and our questions. More often, we call it "procrastination" and pet it like a kitten; embracing it. Of course, we get scratched because we hold it too tightly. Late to appointments. Forgotten assignments. Disappointing results. Self-recrimination. All are results of ignoring Resistance.
We think by ignoring it we can slide through life happily and find ourselves secure on the other side of our dreams. However, that's rarely the case.
And late at night, when we're struggling to sleep, we hear the voice of condemnation telling us what a loser we are because we didn't do X, Y, or Z.
As a result, we hop into cardio-living mode. I'll run faster, jump higher, cram in more and get it all done. Only we don't.
Rather, our unresolved attention to Resistance turns into binge-watching YouTube shorts, or Instagram reels, or entire seasons of Undercover Boss.
Lovingly inspecting the root of our resistance helps us understand where we've skipped a step in addressing the hidden fears.
For an author, it might be a fear of vulnerability. Or perhaps a doctor or sociologist might carry the fear of looking uninformed.
The beautiful thing is this; you don't have to be afraid of the fear.
Embracing the Season
Experience shows me any time I'm in a place of transition, moving from one season to the next, I am going to have resistance.
Think of a seedling pushing through the dirt and making its last leap above ground. Sometimes the soil is nice and even. Sometimes there's a rock in the way. Whatever the situation, the seedling drives past seemingly insurmountable mountains and peeks up above the dirt. In fact, that resistance builds strength for the next part of the growing season.
It's the same in baby birds, a chrysalis, and turtles. And for you and me.
I read a powerful statement in Brendon Burchard's High Performance Habits. "...a warrior's destiny is greater than his wounds."
WOW!
Resistance wants us to focus on our fears and failures, wounds and worries, past and potential as our identity. However, we are not those things. We are what we make of those things.
And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. Romans 8:28 AMP
Lovely One, if you are facing a season of resistance, this is your opportunity to (ahem) practice patience and perseverance.
Because the Scriptures also tell us we WILL reap a harvest if we don't give up. (Galatians 6:9)
Press in to the resistance and let it tell you what you need to know for your next growth spurt.
I'm Here for It
I want to be quick at the start and last through the entire race. For me, and I think for you, that means we need both cardio and resistance training.
Fear keeps us in the starting blocks. On those days when opportunity for joy and fun and adventure knock on your door, be quick to embrace a cardio lifestyle. Jump in with both feet and dance, dance, dance. The more you do, the greater your endurance.
When it's time to dig deep and persevere, burrow in and uncover the rocks of resistance. And when you bring them into the light, invest time to discover their source and deal with the revelation.
Transition and transformation isn't always easy. Sometimes it's quick, like the first 10 lbs on a keto diet. But if you want to be ready for the long journey, you've got to be honest and do the deep work.
And that's what I help with. When you're ready, I'm here for it.
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