Have you ever been around someone who is resistant to everything? The first words out of their mouth is always ‘no’ or ‘I’m not doing that – you’re crazy’. They don’t even bother to think about what is being said to them, they just respond with anything negative. These people can drain the life out of you. If you’re that person, you have to learn how to open up and experience what opportunities may present themselves, or you’ll never make any progress doing anything.
Being defensive is a limitation. Somewhere along the road, someone indirectly taught you to be too careful and not to do anything, because the result MAY be disastrous (keyword is MAY). Therefore, you never made the attempt to do anything new. Before someone even finishes their question or comment, you react with a “Nope – not doing it…” It’s an uneventful and boring way to live.
The only way to overcome the fear of anything, is to do it. Being defensive, or resistant, is usually a sign of fear. I’m not talking about anything extreme, like walking through a fire with gas drenched clothes, I’m talking more about simple things like, mapping out where you want to be in five years. This question scares some people, but we need to get in the habit of taking control of our lives. If it’s not going to hurt you, take a chance and do it. The worse that could happen is the outcome is not what you expected. Big deal. Go do it again and see if you get a different outcome.
This is how opportunities are missed. When you are opposed to everything, nothing will happen to you or for you. There are many people who’ve come into incredible opportunities, all because they took a chance. Your entire life can take a different direction, only if you give that opportunity a chance. Don’t stay in a safe zone all of your life by coming up with excuses about time and money (“I don’t have time for that” or “Unless it’s free, I’m not doing it”). This is where those unique chances lie. I’d rather do it and see what happens, than to think back over my life and wish I would’ve done it.
Whenever that knee-jerk reaction comes up and you want to say ‘no,’ take a moment to think about it – that may be a sign that there’s something there to actually consider. The result could turn out to be beneficial, or not. It’s called taking a calculated risk. Again, not running through a fire with gas drenched clothes on, but taking control of your life by accepting that unpaid internship. Not smoking a dynamite stick on a dare, but going to that seminar to see what it’s about.
Resistance is your buddy (or it should be) – get to know it, because it will present itself to you many times. Don’t pass up the prospect to do something out of the ordinary or different than what you would normally do. You will either like it, or you’ll have a story to tell. It could change your life, or you’ll have a story to tell. Take a chance on some things – bet on yourself. Don’t hide from your life – control the urge to be resistant and live!