There’s a moment in every season of growth when our plans stop working.

Not because we’ve failed or missed a step but because we’ve outgrown the very structure that once helped us.

I’ve had times (in fact, I am in one of those times this very moment) when everything looked flawless on paper: the goals, the calendar, the strategy. Yet deep down, I could feel resistance building. At first, I thought it meant I needed more discipline, more accountability, more grit. But over time, I realized something subtler was happening.

Resistance was trying to tell me something, I just wasn’t listening. Well…. I was listening - to others, to logic, to my strategic mind…  

The Truth About Resistance

Here’s the tricky part: resistance wears two faces.

Sometimes it’s fear. 

Sometimes it's misalignment.

And at first, they can feel identical.

Both can make your chest tighten, your mind race, and your motivation evaporate.

But their messages are wildly different.

When Resistance Is Fear

Fear usually shows up when you’re on the edge of expansion.

It’s your nervous system saying, “Wait …. this feels new, uncertain, unsafe.”

But underneath the fear, there’s energy. Aliveness. Possibility.

You’ll know it’s fear when…

• You feel nervous and curious.

• The idea excites you, even while it terrifies you.

• Once you take a small step, the fear starts to dissolve.

Fear is a threshold. It asks for courage.

When Resistance Is Misalignment

Misalignment feels different — heavier, quieter, and more draining.

It’s your inner wisdom whispering, “This isn’t yours.”

No matter how perfectly it fits the plan, it doesn’t fit your soul.

You’ll know it’s misalignment when…

• You feel tired before you even begin.

• The more you push, the heavier it gets.

• Even success in this direction feels unmotivating & unsatisfying.

Misalignment is a redirection. 

It asks and needs your honesty.

How to Tell the Difference

Here’s a simple practice I use when I’m unsure:

1. Breathe.
   Pause long enough to quiet your mind and feel into your body.
   

2. Visualize the next step.
   Imagine saying “yes” to it,  see yourself doing it.
   

3. Notice the aftertaste.
   

   • If your body relaxes, your chest opens, and a spark of energy follows, that’s fear/threshold.

   • If your body constricts, your energy drops, or you feel disconnected, that’s misalignment/redirection.

Fear wants you to move through it.

Misalignment wants you to move away from it.

Both are forms of guidance - one leads to growth, the other leads you home.

Reflection

If you’re feeling resistance right now, ask yourself:

“Is this fear that’s asking me to be brave… or truth that’s asking me to be honest?”

You don’t have to figure it out instantly.

Take one small step, then listen again.

Your body, your breath, and your inner knowing will tell you the truth long before your mind can.

Closing Note

In next week’s issue, The Quiet Edge, I’ll explore what happens when we stop trying to outthink our own wisdom and start partnering with it instead.

For now, if you’re standing at the crossroads of resistance, don’t rush.

Breathe.

Feel.

Listen.

The pause will tell you what the plan can’t.