Every one of us, including you, has an almost infinite potential to create, to be successful, and to advance our lives. We each have within us a seed of greatness that is pushing to be realized. When we resist this pressure if feels painful. As we try to hold back our own potential we feel depressed, anxious, and generally irritated that we are not living into something we know we are meant to do or be.

The question to ask yourself is how do you resist your own growth, your own success? What is your method for ‘playing small’? How do you say ‘no’ to your own greatness?

Some of us use our fears to avoid doing the things that we know will move us forward. We tell stories that attach success to loss or pain. Others of us play the victim and give up responsibility for our own lack of achievement. We blame ‘the world’ for our current state. Still others justify smallness through anger…blaming past events for current situations. Substances and distractions (alcohol, drugs, shopping, food, television etc) become the tools we use to ‘check out’ of the pain of knowing we are not living to our highest potential.

If you look closely at your resistance you will see two ‘root themes’. One is fear…usually the fear of what ‘might happen’ if you live into your potential. The other is doubt, which is the story that the world is not a loving place and that there is no room for your success. Both are lies, yet we use them quite effectively to block our own forward movement.

Take a moment to look at your life. How do you resist your own progress? If you are able to see something, try not to judge it. Feeling resistance is part of being human. The larger question is what do you want to do with your resistance? Does it serve you? Do you want to let it go? If so, create a clear intention in your mind that you are going to heal your fear and let go of your doubt. When your intentions become clear, your growth becomes inevitable. Remember: You have within you the potential to become anything you choose! All you need to do is clearly intend your future and let go of your resistance!

Originally posted at www.KCHildreth.com and reprinted with permission.