Notes From The Awareness: 330

Reluctance is usually resistance.

Please discuss. How does this play out in life?

I’ll start us out. We can all immediately think of at least one thing that we’re reluctant to do. We can always find a distraction or something we prioritize more highly, so that we can keep pushing the dreaded task off into the future. We know we have to do it, but it feels easier to delay, and we’ll get around to it eventually, right?

When we avoid an action, it’s usually because we have a negative emotion around it. We may delay an important discussion because we fear hurting someone’s feelings. Somehow we can find a way to put off a promised favor because we resent delivering on it even though we impulsively promised it. It may feel easier to postpone trying something new because we’re afraid of failure. We may put off confessing an issue because we’re ashamed to be seen as weak or culpable. Or we may delay preparing our income tax returns because we’re miffed about paying taxes.

Our reluctance usually can be reduced to arising from fear, anger, or shame. These are all uncomfortable motions which we resist experiencing when possible, hence the reluctance.

Today’s message advises me to simply get on with any to-do’s that I’ve been avoiding. The more I indulge my reluctance, the stronger my resistance becomes. When I finally undertake the avoided task, I will shoulder the dual burden of the action itself plus the weight of my accumulated resistance. It’s time to lighten my daily load by eliminating any resistance I’ve been carrying and knocking off a few chores.

How about you:? What tasks do you regularly defer?