Moving through it

Stick your hand out the car window when you’re parked, and you’ll hardly even notice the difference between the inside and the outside of the vehicle. Stick your hand out the window when the car is doing 75 miles an hour on the interstate, and you won’t be able to get it out very far, or keep it out for very long.

What’s the difference? When you’re moving fast, the resistance is much, much greater.

Are your efforts meeting with resistance? That’s absolutely great, because it means you’re making a difference. It may not be the difference that some people want you to make, but here’s the good news. You’re making a difference! Your efforts are having an effect. Somebody’s taking notice. In fact, somebody is taking so much notice that they’re pushing back against you. Do you think they’d be wasting their time if you weren’t having an impact?

People who don’t make much progress feel greatly threatened by progress. If you’re the one making that progress, you might as well get used to the fact that you’re going to garner some significant resentment and resistance. People who don’t want to change feel greatly threatened by change. It’s nothing against you, so don’t take it personally.

But do take it. Take that resistance you encounter and turn it against itself. No, don’t be a jerk about it. Just make use of that resistance. Use it to motivate you. Use it to direct you. Usually, the place where the resistance is coming from is the place where there’s the most value to be created. Savor it. Rejoice at it. Revel in the heady feeling of your own sizable significance. No, don’t congratulate your ego. Congratulate your purpose. Any real progress you make, that’s where it’s coming from.

Stick your hand out the window when you’re zipping down the freeway. Look at the speedometer. This is what it feels like to be getting somewhere. The air is standing still. You’re moving through it.

Keep going. The best is yet to come.