We all have those things in our world that fit into the “could have, should have, would have…umm, okay – DIDN’T” category. True confessions: one of mine was, until yesterday, returning to my yoga practice after a one year hiatus (and my body is sure feeling it today).

Where does the resistance to doing what we most care about come from? That resistance is the voice of fear, cynicism, complacency, and indecision – the voice that tells us things like:

• “It doesn’t really matter – I can do it next week.”
• “It’s never going to be good enough.”
• “No one really cares about what I do.”
• “If I try to do something new and daring, it might fail – better to play it safe.”

That voice – in the words of Seth Godin – is our lizard brain talking. But it’s called other things, too, that you may remember from biology class: The Amygdala, The Limbic System, or the Fight, Flight or Freeze response.

So, why are we talking biology? Because, really, we’re walking around with “two brains” – our more evolved one that can dream up amazing possibility and action, and the other that is purely interested in survival. And guess which one often wins out? Exactly.

Those times when you feel hesitant, or afraid, or indecisive, or unsure of yourself? Well – it’s your lizard brain whispering to you. It’s what keeps people from taking a chance: speaking up in a meeting, sharing an idea, challenging the status quo.

Yes, our lizard brain is afraid of failure, but it’s also afraid of success. It’s also whispering things like, “What if your idea is a smashing success? Your life could change forever – are you really ready for that? What if there are consequences that you can’t foresee? It’s better to just stay put for now…”

Ironically, while all this whispering keeps us from reaching our full potential and feeling stuck, frustrated and stymied, it also keeps us feeling safe.

What to do? Try using your resistance as a weather vane. Lizard brain telling you to stop? Try going. Lizard brain telling you to keep your mouth shut and not share the big idea that’s just popped up? Maybe sharing it is exactly what’s called for. In the words of Seth:

“When you feel the resistance, the stall, the fear, and the pull, you know you’re on to something. Whichever way the wind of resistance is coming from, that’s the way to head – directly into the resistance.”

So, hold onto your hat and go for it. Let me know how it goes – and feel free to ask me any time how my yoga practice is coming along.