by Shelley Meredith

What you resist, persists – Carl Jung

After hearing about the nationwide Writers Resist movement, I was angered….and a bit shocked. I couldn’t believe that an entire body of people – especially those who know the power of words – would willingly participate in such a destructive movement. Here’s why:

As you push against the unwanted, you add power to it. There are all kinds of wars going on right now – war on cancer, war on poverty, war on drugs, and the list goes on and on yet where are we with eradicating these issues as a society? How much progress have we made with the enormous resources devoted to these issues or have they grown worse? In just the last month, I found out about six people I know who either were just diagnosed or died from cancer. That’s an amazing and horrifying example from just one person but I’m sure there are more who have had similar experiences. So as I ponder on what can be done to end suffering of all kinds for people everywhere and this concept of “resistance” is offered up, I have to return to The Law of Attraction. I have to make a point if not offer up a reminder to those who are already aware of this very powerful resource but inform those who may not know.

More and more I am less tolerant of surrounding myself with people who are focused on anger, aggression, negativity, and intolerance regardless if these emotions are ignited by an injustice or aimed towards a noble cause. Why? Because ultimately that is where the progress begins and ends. In my opinion, what people are unknowingly doing is feeding the all too fertile ground for these issues to continue, issues such as racism, bigotry, violence, poverty, hatred etc. In essence, the issue has supporters on both sides because “what you resist, persists” and of course, there are many who actively participate in those things that denigrate society such as human trafficking. That needs to end. Yes, use your emotion but in a positive way. What do you want to see in the world? Peace? Health? Fairness and equality? Compassion? And how does one bring that into fruition verses being unknowingly a supporter of the very thing one fights against? Well, the answer will be different for each and every one of us on many different scales from nationwide movements to our interactions with others on a day to day basis. The solutions though will start to appear as soon as you connect to what it is you DO want, not what it is you DON’T want. Make no mistake about it. Changing your thinking is a hard and trusting that the Law of Attraction really works, may be even harder. We are Americans, after all. We are born to fight, to be the strongest power in the world.

If these concepts are foreign to you or seem like cheap, pop psychology, then I’d suggest watching “The Secret”, “What the Bleep Do We Know?”, reading anything from the many gurus of this scientifically-proven philosophy such as Wayne Dyer or Ester Hicks (you can also find many videos on YouTube from both authors), or Pam Gout, author of “E-Squared”. Gout has some quick and dirty practice exercises you can do on your own that will prove to you once and for all this is real. It isn’t pop psychology or magical thinking. If you’re ambitious, study physics, the layman’s kind. You’ll find in such wonderful reads as Michael Talbot’s “The Holographic Universe” and “The Field” by Lynne McTaggart.

I was lucky enough to learn about The Law of Attraction back in 1990. It would take me volumes of books to share with you how this amazing concept has worked miracles in my life. I mean real miracles! And, I am not alone. Far from it. So I beg anyone who reads this to start taking the right kind of action today and share this with those you may know who are passionately interested in making the world a better place, either as a person or through an organization in which they are already involved. As Americans in particular we are so programmed to “fight”. Isn’t it time we re-program ourselves to be the powerful beings of change we want to be by using a different yet far more effective approach? It’s about what you are for, not what you are against.

Author’s Bio: Shelley Meredith moved to Bellingham in 2015. She writes poetry, short stories, personal essays, and is currently working on two novels. She has also contributed to several other blogs. In her free time she can be found on the trails, doing yoga or pilates, reading, or volunteering at the Bellingham Library. You can reach her at www.thewritinglife@yahoo.com