Sometimes the force isn’t on your side…
Let’s talk physics for a second…
Force is defined as a push or pull upon an object resulting from the object's interaction with another object: F = ma (force = mass *acceleration). The bigger something is and the faster it’s moving, the more power, so to speak, there is behind that object. Picture a hill and at the top there are 2 rocks, one small one large. If they start rolling at the same exact time down the same incline and there are no other variables in the mix, the bigger one will gain more speed as it rolls and hit the bottom of the hill with more force. If you were standing at the bottom of said hill, you’d rather be hit by the smaller rock, right? You already know that the bigger one is going to hurt a lot more.
Now, there are many different types of force, but I’m going to talk about friction. Friction is the force that resists motion when the surface of one object comes in contact with the surface of another. So, let’s go back to that same hill. If the bigger rock say hits a patch of mud, it’s going to slow down the speed at which it rolls. The acceleration is decreased because of the friction.
Think about when you’re driving a car. It’s easier to keep a steady speed when you’re on level, paved ground. But if you then switch to a dirt road or there’s ice/snow or something else is on the road, it changes the speed which changes the force of the car.
“Danielle, why are you talking about physics all of a sudden?”
Well, I’m glad you asked…
I was thinking the other day about force.
No, not that one and not in the physics sense either, but in forcing things to happen in life. There are people who will go out of their way to force a meeting or encounter with someone they want to meet. There are people who will poke and prod at something until things go their way. They force their way through life, pushing against any friction that comes their way by essentially being more forceful.
I stopped to think about this and realized that every time I’ve sat back and just let things happen as they’re going to happen (in other worse, not forcing things), good things happen. When I don’t try to force conversations, they happen naturally. When I’m more laid back instead of up in arms about everything, life just happens. The more resistance you feel when trying to force something, the more that’s the universe telling you that you should really just… relax!
Let’s try another analogy for a minute. Imagine that you have a jar (no, not this one). The jar has something inside it that you really really want, but the lid won’t budge. You try everything you can think of to get it off and after trying and trying, it hasn’t even loosened and you’re left feeling defeated. But what if you let that jar sit for a little while and try again after you’ve allowed yourself to rest? You might have an easier time opening it.
I know I go a little overboard with these analogies sometimes, but what I’ve found over the last few days and especially in the last 3 years is that the best things in my life happen when I stop trying to force them to happen. This is not to say that you should just sit back and let life happen around you, but there are times when forcing it does nothing but leave you feeling defeated in the long run.
So here is my advice to you, dear reader, the next time you encounter resistance… take a step back! Think about the situation and maybe find a different way to solve it or, even better, see how things unfold if you don’t apply force. You might be surprised by the results.
- Danielle
