What We Resist Persists

Conflict is sometimes necessary for our own spiritual and emotional growth.

- Mary Boutieller

As we move into October, I imagine that we are all in a bit of disbelief that “this” is still going on. We are still dealing with the wrath of Covid-19, trying to make sense of ongoing information being presented to us, trying to decide best practices and actions to keep ourselves and loved ones safe, and yet trying to have some semblance of life as we once knew it. On top of that, a major election is coming up, civil unrest continues and, sometimes, it feels as if the “plate of conflict” can’t get any fuller!

For me, “conflict” has been an underlying theme for most of the past month—conflict within myself, conflict with others, conflict with ideas and truths that are not my own, conflict between friends and family. And I kept hoping that something else would arise for me to write about—but nothing else has—so here I am sitting with the presence of conflict needing to be expressed. What is that saying, “What we resist persists?”

Dealing with conflict isn’t easy or comfortable for me. I was raised to not rock the boat. In many ways, this seemed easier. If I didn’t disagree with others, they would continue to like me; I would not be seen as a threat or a bother or different. I would not garner attention.

So true! Why make things uncomfortable? Why stir the pot when we can stay blissfully ignorant of our own passions, our own desires, our own thoughts? Why rock the boat?