Resistance Training for the Soul: Why the Hard Way Might Be the Right Way
What if the thing you’re avoiding is actually the thing you need most?
The Culture of Comfort Is a Lie
We live in an age obsessed with comfort. Heated seats, same-day delivery, endless scroll entertainment—everything is engineered for ease. But what if that very ease is capping your potential? What if comfort, rather than being your ally, is actually a seductive force keeping you small?
Confucius once said, “The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.” It’s never been more true. When resistance shows up—procrastination, fear, doubt, discomfort—we misread it as a red flag. We think something’s wrong. But what if it’s a green light instead?
Resistance as a Compass
Steven Pressfield wrote in The War of Art, “Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work… Resistance is always lying and it’s always full of shit.” The truth is, if something scares you, if it makes you hesitate, that’s probably the very thing that’s asking to be done.
Resistance shows up strongest at the edge of your growth. It’s not a warning sign—it’s a signal that you’re on the right track. That fear of sending the message, finishing the project, or facing the hard conversation? That’s not a roadblock. That’s a threshold.
The Toll for Transformation
Discomfort is the toll you pay for transformation. Every time you avoid the gym, the blank page, or the truth you need to speak, comfort may feel like a win—but it leaves you feeling dull, small, and disconnected. That’s because comfort lies. It tells you you’re safe when really, you’re stuck.
Comfort rewards you in the short term but erodes your spirit over time. It numbs creativity, silences ambition, and keeps you repeating the same cycles. As Marcus Aurelius warned, “Stop feeding your soul with luxury and comfort… these things make you soft and lazy.”
Discomfort Builds Strength
Think about the gym. You don’t grow by lifting what’s easy—you grow by meeting resistance. The same is true mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Every time you do the thing you’d rather avoid—start the draft, make the call, hold the boundary—you train your nervous system for life.
This is the paradox: discomfort builds ease. Seek resistance often enough, and it stops scaring you. And when it stops scaring you, you grow.
Stoic Practice: Voluntary Discomfort
The Stoics knew this well. Seneca practiced voluntary discomfort—fasting, wearing coarse clothes—not out of masochism, but to remind himself that he was capable of surviving hardship. They trained when life was easy, so they could endure when it wasn’t.
You can do the same. Choose small ways to stretch yourself: take the longer line, delay gratification, engage the hard thing on purpose. These are strength reps for your soul.
A Simple Practice to Lean Into Resistance
Notice it. Name what you’re avoiding—fear, boredom, doubt.
Reframe it. Ask: “What if this discomfort is growth trying to happen?”
Act small. One paragraph. One rep. One hard call.
Reflect. Ask yourself daily: “Where did I feel resistance today—and what did I do with it?”
The Way Is Through
The Stoics didn’t run from resistance—they used it. “The impediment to action advances action,” wrote Marcus Aurelius. “What stands in the way becomes the way.” They knew discomfort wasn’t a mistake—it was the forge that shaped them.
So the next time you feel resistance, don’t flee. Face it. Lean in. You're not being tested to prove your worth—you’re being trained to remember it. The hard thing isn't your punishment. It’s your path.
Your Challenge
Find the thing you've been avoiding. The call, the commitment, the next step. Then move toward it—just a little. Because what you want most is usually hiding on the other side of the thing you're most afraid to face.
