Resistance is Futile

Since it is still May and I am, at heart, a Star Wars nerd* we are continuing the Star Wars theme. If you missed the other May Star Wars blog about the dark side of self improvement, you can get it here.

*you hear that from me often...I'm a this nerd or a that nerd...I think I'm just a nerd nerd

Ever hear the Jungian phrase 'what you resist, not only persists, but will grow in size?'

Yeah...that.

Darth Vader is here to remind us that resistance is futile...not in sense that you will be assimilated into the Borg like Captain Picard, but in the fact that as much as we would like it to work, resistance to a problem doesn't solve the problem or make it go away. It just ensures that the problem will show up again tomorrow.

This was a really difficult concept for me to grasp. In fact, it took years for me to get it.

In the typical veterinary day, many things show up that we don't want:

• clients who don't follow recommendations

• angry clients

• disagreements with coworkers, friends, or family

• inflation

• mistakes

• staffing shortages

• adverse medical events

• traffic

• stupid people

• natural disasters

• climate change

• war

• supply chain issues

• unexpected bills

• unexpected health problems

• inflammatory news headlines

• endless political opinions

• and on and on and on

I don't know about you but my knee jerk reaction to that list is to stiffen, bristle, and in a word, resist.

When we resist something it is because we don't like it and we want whatever it is to exit our perceived reality. We resist because somewhere along the way we have become convinced that resistance is the right thing to do and will solve the problem.

Unfortunately quantum physics doesn't work that way. In fact, the study of observed particles in the famous double slit experiment will tell you that energy flows where attention goes, no matter if the attention is negative or positive.

I can sense you are skeptical. Let's try it another way.

Imagine you are thinking about buying a new car. You do some research on the car, talk about the car, test drive the car, and think about the car, and then suddenly you start seeing that car every where, every day.

It's also like when you talk about (or these days just think about) something and then it shows up in your Tiktok #fyp or as a paid ad - the algorithm is always listening.

THE SECRET is when you dwell on or talk about something you don't want, you are focusing your conscious energy on it, which paradoxically makes it more likely that that thing or person, however odious it is it you, will show up in your reality again. The more you think about something, whether good or bad, the more likely you will experience it again.

Read that again.

A great source of human unhappiness is the result of our reactions to what other people around us are doing (or not doing). We are also unhappy because we give our attention to the news and fixate DAILY upon the things that scare us or make us irate. Many people do this first thing in the morning when they wake up and look at their phone (an absolute abysmal way to start your day - you deserve better).

It goes something like this:

We see, read, or read about something that we don't like, which then elicits negative emotions. As a measure of self protection, we then think about those things, talk with others about how upset we are about those things, have negative feelings associated with those things, all in an effort to insulate ourselves from that thing we don't like. Then we go to sleep, wake up and repeat the whole cycle again the next day - a toxic, unending merry-go-round of thoughts and actions of resistance to the things we don't like.

Unfortunately, if your habitual attention revolves around what you want to avoid, you’ll inadvertently 'energize' it, permit it to have more power over your thoughts and emotions, and paradoxically attract more of it to you.

Said another way, if you misdirect your attention and fixate on the thing you don't want, you actually strengthen and spread what you hope to weaken in your reality.

Read THAT again....especially if your knee jerk reaction to this whole post is 'bullshit". :-)

Think about the things you don't like/don't want/are scared of.

Think about how much thought and verbal energy (aka lip service) you give these things, every mfing day.

In essence, in your well intentioned, focused hatred, you are energetic fueling them. Yep. They will show up in some form (something you will hear/read/see/say/think) again in your reality tomorrow or the next day because in essence, you called them.

All the effort you are putting into fighting this, that, or the other thing is just reinforcing and ensuring that you will have that thing to fight that thing again tomorrow.

Plus, if you focus on resisting these things you will also feel victimized by them, which is a terrible feeling that saps your energy and puts frown lines on your face.

Sadly, this is a pretty acceptable way to be human. However, if you actually want to be rid of these things showing up in your reality day after day, then you are going to have to do something different.

What's that? You are ready to do something different and use your energy more strategically?

Check out part 2 of this blog series to learn a better way to be human.

From our slightly scandalous hearts to yours,

Sarah J. Wooten, DVM, CVJ and the Vets Against Insanity CON Crew 😆