Write for Resistance
Hello Dear One,
It’s been a while since I showed up in your inbox.
How are you? Really? It’s ok if the answer is complicated. It’s also ok if you don’t really know. Perhaps this is your invitation to explore, by using the prompts here, the archives, or heading straight to the blank page. My mission (as you may know) is to spread the magic of expressive writing; for us all to know it as a precious space to go.
If you’re new, welcome. If you’ve been with me for a while hurray. It’s lovely to have you.
Over the last few weeks I’ve prioritised my writing practice, deepened it, and let it evolve. A few months ago it became squeezed. Opening my notebook felt, at times, like a desperate and hurried attempt to connect with myself, or – at worst – a chore. It was deeply important to me this didn’t last.
So, I went back to basics - 15 minutes of uninterrupted writing starting with Dear Beautiful Soul, how are you?
There was, of course, resistance. I found it hard to settle, or stopper the desire to reach for my phone and tick off a task. But the more I wrote the more I wanted to write. Not for anyone else, not to prove anything but to navigate change and explore big emotions. Writing is a sense checker, a distancer. It brings me back to the now, where I affirm what’s true instead of wallowing in what might go wrong. Yet, we often resist the things that help us, choosing the familiar over fulfilment. It’s part of our programming.
Which makes resistance is one of the most interesting topics to journal on.
Often I’m resisting the possibility that good things can happen, that everything will work out. This resistance is mostly unneeded, an outdated protection strategy that causes unnecessary suffering. At other times resistance is guidance. It can show me I’m not ready for something, I need better boundaries, or what I think I ‘should' do isn’t truly aligned with who I am. It can urge me down a better path.
The last question - what would change - is often the most revealing. Dropping the resistance to writing meant I was able to express myself fully and receive self-compassion, which gives me a warm, glowing feeling. But I also chose to face myself, which can be daunting. Other things feel scary, or like they would be happening too quickly. Lean into what is true for you.
The topic is vast and the exercise here can be repeated whenever you need it. The key, I think, is to invite in curiosity. A kind of oh I’m resisting this. Why? By being kind to ourselves, bypassing perfection and seeking the right support we can move in a more exciting direction.
Thanks for being here and being you.
All love,
Jo
P.S. This letter will now return to its weekly schedule! Over the next few weeks I’ll also have information on upcoming workshops.