“Comparison must be an ego device, for love makes none. Specialness always makes comparisons.” -A Course in Miracles
We can easily think our issues are different and that we have special forms of resistance, which then builds our ego. If you have read anything here and told yourself, “Yes, but you don’t understand my situation/problem/boss/partner/the demands of my job.”
It’s a fundamental ego need to be special. The ego loves to build itself up and specialness is one of its best strategies. You will know that you are doing this if you find yourself saying things like, “My form of resistance is different. That won’t work for me. Ah, let me show you why that doesn’t apply to me. My suffering is unique. My problems are different.”
The ego builds itself through wanting to be different. It builds itself by aiming to create greater success through competitiveness, and inflation, and by being the best. It can also create specialness by aiming to be the greatest mess, the worst loser and the most insignificant and useless. This is all grandiosity.
Another form of specialness is pride – resistance loves pride. When you say, “That’s beneath me,” resistance loves it. Whether that’s taking baby steps, making yourself vulnerable in some way, asking for help or starting again after a successful corporate career, then resistance can kick in and stop you.
I am not suggesting for a moment that you demean yourself, but I am suggesting that by taking the occasionally un-sexy but necessary actions, you are likely to succeed much more quickly than by waiting until you are successful enough to have “your people” to do things for you.
Tip: What are you refusing to do out of pride? Start doing it. Accept your shared humanity. Your experience is both unique and universal; you are precious and no different.
Freedom project: Acknowledge your shared humanity – you are both unique and very similar to most other human beings. You are influenced as much by resistance as anybody.
Subscribe to Explore Beyond the Usual™ by Email
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nick Williams travels the world sharing a life-affirming - and profoundly spiritual – vision of work and entrepreneurship. A sought after speaker, best-selling author and broadcaster, Nick is on a mission to help people move beyond their fears, play-bigger in their lives, and transform their passions into profitable businesses. He is the author of six books including the best selling The Work We Were Born To Do and most recently The Business You Were Born to Create. He lives in London and his web site is http://www.inspired-entrepreneur.com/, @nickwilliams1, http://www.facebook.com/entrepreneurclub
Books By Nick Williams:
Other Blog Posts by Nick: Tip 21 When Can Your Great Intelligence Also Be A Great Impediment?, Tip 20 Recognize that You Might Be in Recovery, Tip 19 Step Out of Your Own Shadows onto Centre Stage, Tip18 Own Tip Your Fear so it Doesn't Own You, Tip 17 Become the Initiating Force in Your Life, Tip 16 Have Long Term Goals, Tip 15 Recognize the Real Purpose of Resistance, Tip 14 Become a Servant of the Great Mystery, Tip 13 Do Believe in Heaven, Tip 12 You Can't Take All the Credit for Your Brilliance, Tip 11 You Are the Custodian of Projects and Gifts, Tip 10 Who Did I Promise to Be in This Life? Tip 9 You Are Here to Do Something Beautiful, Tip 8 Are You Resisting Your Own Life Purpose? Tip 7 The Battle for Your Brilliance - Will Resistance Win? Tip 6 Were Your Talents and Abilities Used Today? Tip 5 Resistance Can Be Your North Star, Tip 4 Do You Know the Difference Between Resistance, Necessity and Intuition? Tip 3 Something Wonderful Came Before Your Resistance, Tip 2 Can You Recognize Your Own Resistance?, Tip 1 What Wants to Come into Existence through Me?, Your Precious Impulse, Does Your Soul Want a Renaissance Career, 5 Tips if You're Afraid of Losing Your Job, Why I Really Quit My Corporate Job, Comunity and the Inspired Entrepreneur, Beat Your Resistance and Honour Your Creative Impulses
Seed Newsvine