Resistance & The 3rd Chakra
Wisdom From Marcus Aurelius
I chose to highlight this brilliant Marcus Aurelius philosophical quote because it starts with the suggestion that our dreams are here now, encourages us not to be deterred and ends by saying we’ll find peace if we do.
Below the quote I do a breakdown on what it means in terms of using our creative energy and life force.
I pulled this quote from ‘Meditations’ - Book 12;
(I’ve left the punctuation and capitalization as I found it)
“Everything you’re trying to reach—by taking the long way round—you could have right now, this moment. If you’d only stop thwarting your own attempts. If you’d only let go of the past, entrust the future to Providence, and guide the present toward reverence and justice.
Reverence: so you’ll accept what you’re allotted. Nature intended it for you, and you for it.
Justice: so that you’ll speak the truth, frankly and without evasions, and act as you should—and as other people deserve.
Don’t let anything deter you: other people’s misbehavior, your own misperceptions, What People Will Say, or the feelings of the body that covers you (let the affected part take care of those). And if, when it’s time to depart, you shunt everything aside except your mind and the divinity within . . . if it isn’t ceasing to live that you’re afraid of but never beginning to live properly . . . then you’ll be worthy of the world that made you.
No longer an alien in your own land.
No longer shocked by everyday events—as if they were unheard-of aberrations.
No longer at the mercy of this, or that.”
~ From ‘Meditations’ by Marcus Aurelius
So, let’s break this down…
Everything you’re trying to reach—by taking the long way round—you could have right now, this moment. If you’d only stop thwarting your own attempts. If you’d only let go of the past, entrust the future to Providence, and guide the present toward reverence and justice.
It’s interesting that Aurelius assumes we are “taking the long way round” to get to our goals.
He could only write this if he’d seen this many times before.
If we only stopped thwarting ourselves. ←—- this is a biggie.
This is such a common phenomenon that it crosses cultural, age, gender and financial parameters.
There’s virtually no one who could say they have never prevented their own progress at some point.
As someone who works creatively (writer, VO performer & life energy coach) I understand this urge all too well.
It’s so pervasive and insidious that I have to say it’s a force unto itself.
It’s not something that’s just in you - which it certainly is - but it’s also an outside force.
Not unlike a severe headwind in a storm.
The resistance human beings feel when tackling new and creative things is so common and sometimes so overwhelming that I have to say then, it’s supposed to be there.
I used to think the urge to resist was bad… and if I’m being totally honest - sometimes still do.
But what if there’s a universal and spiritual reason for resistance?
I think there is.
Whenever we start something new or do something creative there is usually some level of resistance. If there isn’t right then, there will be soon.
So, what do you do if you want to finish that new, shiny, creative thing and you’re feeling resistance?
You focus more intensely.
You push away the negative thoughts… hard.
You get organized… fast.
You double down on the effort and dedicate special time to the new, creative thing.
However, what if you don’t feel like putting in the effort that day?
Then Resistance has set it up so that you must decide how bad you want it.
THAT’S what Resistance is for.
It demands we use the fiery energy of the solar plexus chakra to boil and burn away the emotions that bubble up in the sacral chakra.
Then…
Take that energy, which has been built up and push it through the fears that have gathered in the root chakra —> to spawn your creation!
This includes what Aurelius says about not letting anything deter you - other people’s misbehavior or your own misperceptions.
I find his use of “misperceptions” interesting.
I understand that his writings have been translated into English.
So, there is an outside influence.
However, it doesn’t diminish the fact that we, as humans, are perceivers more than anything else.
We take in waaay more information than we give out.
So, we need to be very careful as to how we interpret what we are perceiving.
Let’s not make things more difficult for ourselves by going negative.
Let’s learn to ‘life properly’ as Aurelius says.
He wraps up this quote with suggesting that if we actually do get out of our own way we will feel the bliss and satisfaction of;
No longer (being) an alien in your own land.
No longer shocked by everyday events—as if they were unheard-of aberrations (since it’s been happening for millennia).
No longer at the mercy of this, or that (or Resistance).
And frankly, in the world the way it is now (in 2024), what Aurelius is suggesting we do is simple, hard and the most necessary thing we have to accomplish.
He also says using Reverence and Justice will help us get there…
We’ll discuss that in another post.
For now though, I’ll finish up by saying keep looking Resistance in the face. It’s a lonely fight but it’s the biggest battle we’re fighting.
Onward Creative Warrior.
I hope that’s given you something to consider.
Thank you for reading. I wish you a very prosperous day.
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