Resistance: Turning Pushback Into Pure Power

Resistance: Turn Pushback Into Pure Power

Reframe conflict, self-doubt, and criticism into clarity, courage, and next-level momentum.

The world trains us to avoid friction and keep life easy, but real growth almost never happens in comfort. This episode of the Self Realized, Shatter Your Limits podcast with me, Linton Bergsen, shows you how to treat resistance like a wise mentor—one that tests your resolve, sharpens your purpose, and points straight at the work, relationships, and habits that truly matter.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, overthinking feedback, or drowning in competing priorities, this conversation gives you a clear map to turn pushback into power without burning out or betraying your values.

You’ll learn:

• A two-minute “allowance” practice to release tension and regulate your nervous system in real time.
• A 90-second alignment prompt that reveals the message hidden inside any hard moment.
• A simple two-column discernment list to process criticism, keep what’s true, drop what’s projected, and protect your focus.

You’ll hear real-world stories that bring each tool to life:

• Carla walks away from soul-draining bureaucracy, finds resonance, and attracts the right allies and momentum.
• Jordan turns painful reviews into a new show structure that grows both his audience and his inner freedom.
• Alex thanks his inner critic, then steps into new roles with grounded courage and compassion.
• Maria alchemizes a career loss into a calling that guides others through upheaval and reinvention.

Along the way, you’ll be able to connect spiritual clarity to everyday craft: breath, posture, speech, reflection, gratitude, and one small, brave step that stretches you instead of snaps you.

You’ll explore:

• Inner vs. outer resistance and how to tell the difference.
• Ego integration instead of ego war, so you’re not fighting yourself while you grow.
• How friction can act as your soul’s GPS, pointing to what deserves your full presence now.

By the end, you’ll have:

• Daily rituals to transmute resistance into momentum.
• Language to stop personalizing pushback and start decoding it as sacred feedback.
• A simple way to track progress so meaningful change actually sticks.

If this resonates:

• Follow/subscribe on your favorite app so you never miss an episode.
• Share this with a friend at an inflection point in life, career, or creativity.
• Leave a rating and review—it helps more people worldwide discover the show, and it truly makes a difference.

Then ask yourself: What is the one step you will commit to this week to move with resistance instead of against it?

Visit selfrealized.com for more resources including my five-star Amazon reviewed book Purposeful Vision.

Let me know your thoughts on this episode. Text me your feedback! 🙂

https://www.selfrealized.com

Episode Transcript

Linton Bergsen (00:00):
Welcome to the Self-Realized Podcast with
Linton Bergsen, where you willshatter your limits.
I'm not much into the self-helpindustry, as much as I'm into
the self-realized individual,which is you, what matters most
to you, how you get there, andthe obstacles that may be in
your way.
If you would like to be part ofthis podcast and part of that

(00:22):
discussion, I welcome you herewith an open heart, open mind,
and open arms.
So without further ado, let'sget on with the podcast.
We live in a world that teachesus to avoid friction, to run

(00:47):
from challenge, to deny the verydoor that blocks our path.
But what if that veryresistance, whether it's the
opinion of others, negativesubconscious self-talk, or even
the ancient whispers of our ownself-doubt, is in fact the raw

(01:10):
energy of transformation?
What if resistance is notfailure, but the deeper voice of
spirit calling you into thefire of your own awakening?
Today I invite you into ajourney that is both grounded
and transcendent, where you willmeet resistance not with fear,

(01:31):
but with a fierce love and laserclear action.
This is the Self-RealizedShatter Limits Podcast.
I am Linton Bergsen, and thisis episode number 120,
resistance.
Turn pushback into pure power.
This right now is where yourbreakthrough begins.

(01:55):
First of all, let us slow downenough to feel resistance, what
it truly feels like.
Not as an enemy, but as aliving teacher.
In physics, resistance is theforce that tempers a current,
clarifying where true flow canhappen.
In spiritual traditions,resistance is a crucible where

(02:18):
the soul's destiny istransformed into light.
It is both the test and theinvitation.
Who will you become in thepresence of an obstacle?
Pause a moment and contemplatethis.
Since childhood, we areconditioned to associate

(02:39):
struggle with defeat.
But ancient wisdom across allcultures holds that true power
only emerges when we makedirect, conscious contact with
what feels most immovable insideor outside of us.
Let me share a story with youregarding my own meditation.

(03:03):
During a retreat I waschallenged by the very simplest
task, sitting in silence forhours, not moving in complete
stillness.
Every muscle, every thoughtscreamed at me to leave, to
change, to do anything but stay.

(03:24):
But as I sat, something crackedopen, a self-realization.
I was not there to conquer theentire mountain.
The mountain was simply thereto show me that the strength I
had was already within me andimmovable and as solid and as

(03:49):
silent and as strong as allmountains are.
The mountain was there to showme the strength already within
me, hidden by habit anddistraction.
That's when I chose to make myresistance become devotion.

(04:09):
And in that moment, peacearrived, and you too can make
that transcendent decision thatwhen you face obstacles and
resistance, you are going todevote your time and energy to
learn the lesson from them andovercome them with a positive

(04:31):
mindset and positiveself-awareness of how they can
serve you.
I am going to give you apractical application that you
can use when you are notlistening to the podcast.
Take two minutes, just twominutes, and close your eyes.
Bring to mind a currentresistance.

(04:53):
It could be work-related, arelationship, inner self-doubt.
Then just name it.
Describe its flavor, itstightness, its fear.
Maybe even you're tired of it.
This ongoing, repeatingresistance, and it is now making

(05:14):
you angry.
Give it some space.
Just inhale and then slowlyexhale.
Notice does its intensity shiftwhen you allow it rather than
push it away.
Energy is interesting.

(05:36):
Resistance energy isinteresting.
The more you resist, the moreit persists.
The more you relax and let go,the more it expands and begins
to dissipate.
This is how energy works.
Allowance is the key to yourown transformation and growth.

(05:58):
Here's a question for you tocontemplate on for a moment.
Are you here to avoiddiscomfort or to be reshaped by
it into the clearest and mosteffective version of yourself
and your purpose?

(06:19):
Sometimes we don't always lookat resistance as friction.
So let's talk about friction asspiritual clarity and practical
focus.
Friction, whetherenvironmental, emotional, or
relational, is the soul's way ofpointing out where we are

(06:43):
divided between our deepertruth, our deeper selves, our
soul essence, and our habitualmind, between desire and
discipline, between old woundsand brand new horizons.
Let me share a story with younow that will give you an

(07:03):
example of real world friction.
It is a story of Carla, aleader in social impact, full of
vision, yet met daily withbureaucracy and inertia.
She began to dread meetings shewent to, seeing each delay as a
personal betrayal.
So I asked her to reframe theway that she was approaching

(07:27):
everything.
What if the friction that shewas having in her everyday life
was in fact her soul's GPSsystem, steering her toward only
what truly lit her up?
On a very practical level, ifyou look at friction and
resistance as maybe a guidinglight that the situations,

(07:53):
circumstances, and people thatyou are involved with right now
need to be let go, so you canbegin to drop them and move in a
different direction, you willfind things begin to unfold in a
more authentic way for you inyour life.
Practically, Carla dropped twoprojects that had little

(08:15):
resonance with her, focusing herspirit and effort on one
initiative where her ownauthentic energy was magnetized,
she had allies, and she gainedtremendous momentum.
What Carla did was apply thetitle of today's episode to her

life (08:38):
Resistance.
Turn Pushback Into Pure Power.
Using that power for her ownpersonal gain and momentum.
Here is a simple spiritualexercise that I will give you
that you can use when you havetime.
Set a timer for ninety seconds.

(09:02):
Think about a current friction,a resistance in your life.
Contemplate on it for a moment.
Then ask yourself thisquestion.
Where is this resistancerevealing a deeper alignment or
redirection for me in my life?

(09:23):
Without overthinking, writeyour answer.
Then list one concrete step, atiny actionable step that you
can take to honor thatrealignment this week.
I would like for you tocontemplate on a thought for a
moment.
Do you see pushback, resistanceas sacred feedback in your

(09:51):
life?
A universal sacred feedbackthat is trying to help you move
in a different direction ratherthan stay stuck where you are.
We often take pushback as asign that we're on the wrong
path.
But that is not alwaysnecessarily true.

(10:12):
What if it is a universereflecting back to us?
It's time to move on to ournext lesson.
Or another human beingmirroring back to us some things
that we are resistant to thatwe don't want to look at in our
own behavior.

(10:33):
And it's time to get into adeeper understanding of owning
ourselves and moving forward onour own personal journey of
self-realization and delvingmore deeply into our own
personal development so we arenot resisting, maybe a valid

(10:55):
criticism from a dear, valuedfriend who is not just trying to
hurt us with their words, butsincerely trying to help us
develop ourselves to the nextlevel that is critical for our
own success personally andprofessionally.

(11:16):
And the reason I suggest thatto you is because I have friends
like that in my life who Itrust to give me valued
criticism and correction so Ican develop myself and
contemplate on their words.
Let me give you an example ofthat with a client I had named

(11:41):
Jordan, who launched a podcaston mental resilience.
The feedback stung and hedidn't always like the criticism
in some of the segments that hehad put out there.
His initial reaction wasdefensive, but with reflection,
he asked instead, what is truein their feedback?

(12:05):
On the opposite side of that,what wasn't true?
He changed the structure of hispodcast, developed different
segments that had been suggestedto him, and most importantly,
learned not to make otherpeople's resistance personal.
The show grew, as did Jordan'ssense of inner freedom.

(12:29):
And that is one thing that wegrossly underestimate is that
when you begin to receivepushback or resistance in a way
that you can develop yourselfand not always take it
personally, you will have agreater sense of inner freedom

(12:49):
and sense of ownership ofyourself.
Because what people think ofyou or what they say about what
you're doing is only as valid asthe power that you choose to
give it.
If you take some of thecriticism as valid and positive,

(13:09):
you can once again takeresistance and turn pushback
into pure power.
I'm going to give you now apractical tool that you can use
to do that.
After receiving feedback, writetwo lists.
One on the left, what is validand useful, and on the right,

(13:33):
what is simply someone else'sprojection.
Use discernment.
Not every pushback requireschange, but everyone offers you
some kind of wisdom.
Contemplate on this for amoment.
If pushback comes from achallenging person, ask

(13:57):
yourself, what are they teachingme about my boundaries, values,
or need for self-validation?
It is very important toacknowledge the different types
of resistance that exist.
There's inner and outerresistance.

(14:18):
There's the ego that sometimesresists change for many
different reasons.
There's the environment that weplace ourselves in, that people
may resist us when we try togrow and develop.
Then there is your ownspiritual growth and
development.
The soul wants to expand.

(14:40):
Sometimes we can resist thatexpansion and hold on to old
ideas.
When the spirit wants toexpand, old ideas and ways of
being contract.
Most profound resistance is notfrom the world, but the minds

(15:00):
that we have inherited or built.
Sometimes our ego whispers tous, stay safe, don't try and be
too much, don't risk theunknown.
What will people think of me?
How will it look?
The spiritual path invites usto befriend our ego, not to kill

(15:21):
it, but to simply integrate it.
Here is a deeper story I willshare with you to give an
example of that.
Alex, a high performer, washaunted by the fear of being
exposed as not good enough.
No amount of success silencedthe voice.

(15:43):
Through inquiry and breathwork, he learned to invite that
voice gently to the table.
Thank you for trying to keep mesafe, but now let's walk
together into the unknown.
Each time he stepped into a newrole or a conversation, he

(16:05):
brought both courage andcompassion to each situation
instead of fear and anxiety.
His outer world started tochange as his inner world
softened.
Here's a practice I would liketo give you when you have time
and you are not listening to thepodcast.

(16:28):
Journal when you hitresistance.
Ask. Who in me is the sacred part of my soul.

(16:55):
What do I choose to honor? What would I say to comfort and reasure that part of me? What action, however small, will show my inner self, I am safe, to expand. Youcan use this in a real world
application by simply committingpublicly to one step that makes
you a little nervous, adeadline, a conversation, an
audacious pitch.
Let the outside world stretchyou as your soul and your spirit

(17:19):
upholds you in loving supportand acceptance of your new
growth and your own uniqueself-realization of all that you
truly are.
There is an art of transmutingresistance.

(17:40):
There are certain rituals andactions that you can take to
help you do that.
Alchemy isn't just somethingthat is poetic, it's very
practical.
Transforming resistance into aresource, turning pushback into
pure power is as much a dailycraft as it is mystical insight.

(18:06):
I'm going to give you threepractical rituals that you can
use that will help you transmuteresistance.
Number one is what I call thepresence pause.
Take one minute at any stresspoint in your day.

(18:26):
Notice your posture, noticeyour breath, notice your speech.

(18:51):
Place both feet on the ground, and say softly to yourself. I am here, I am willing to turn any pushback into power, so be it, Numbertwo, create an integration
checklist.
At the day's end, ask yourselfthis.
What resistance did I meet?
What message was in thatresistance for me?
What did I actually do?

(19:12):
Did I choose to accept itpositively or did I choose to
reject it and hide away from itslesson?
Number three may sound a littlestrange.
A lot of people don't alwayssee things this way, but think
about how you can be gratefuland have gratitude for pushback

(19:37):
you received.
Twice a week, make a note.
Today, my greatest teacher wasfill in the blank and then end
it by saying thank you forshaping me.
Be grateful for the pushbackyou received because if you turn

(19:59):
pushback into power, you willbecome an unstoppable dynamo,
transforming resistance intosuccess.
There are stories oftransformation from resistance
to self-realization.
Every major transformation hasa dark night of the soul, a

(20:23):
moment that looks like failure,but is secretly the seed of your
next evolution.
I would like to share with youa practical story about an
individual I knew called Maria,who was forced out of her career
by circumstances she could notcontrol.
She met a lot of resistance toher ideas and what she thought

(20:50):
was ethically right for her tostay within the company that she
was working for.
The resistance nearly broker.
Spiritually, she started eachday with the simple mantra.
I am not forsaken, I am beingredirected.

(21:10):
Practically, she sought help,therapy, some skill training,
daily steps, working out, nomatter how small, she was trying
to be positive.
Within a year, her callingemerged, counseling others in
navigating life's shocks.

(21:32):
She took her pain andeverything that she had been
through and overcome, and itbecame medicine for others.
Here is something I would likeyou to contemplate on for a
moment.
Where has your greatestresistance today or in the past

(21:56):
helped you to become a betterperson and watered the roots for
you to become your best self?
Change is not a one-timeinsight, but a weaving moment by
moment of new patterns intoyour consciousness and your

(22:19):
calendar.
My suggestion is you scheduletime to monitor your progress so
you can keep yourselfaccountable day by day, week by
week, of how you are progressingfrom turning resistance and
pushback into pure power in yourdaily, weekly, and yearly life.

(22:47):
Resistance is not the warningof failure, it is the signal of
your true awakening, yourcalling, your growth, your
fulfillment are all shaped inthe forge of pushback, spiritual
and practical, inner and outer.

(23:08):
Today, don't numb out when ithurts.
Don't shrink away when theworld says no.
Instead, meet resistance like awise old friend, with
curiosity, courage, and awillingness to evolve.

(23:30):
Right now, pick one insight,one reflection, one powerful and
perhaps difficult step.
Make a commitment, journal,call, or voice record your
action and your learning.
Your journey, your resistance,your breakthrough, that is the

(23:51):
ripple that inspires others.
I am Linton Bergsen.
May you move from pushback topure power, from uncertainty to
clarity, one brave breath, andone clear step at a time.
Until next time, trust theprocess, embody your light, and

(24:14):
shatter your limits.
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(24:35):
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