Intention in Practice: From Resistance to Flow
By Natalia Jansen, MFA
Your life is not happening to you. It is happening through you.
Life as Content: What Are You Starring in Right Now?
Every experience—pleasant or painful, predictable or surprising—is part of your current life’s “content.” It’s the raw material of your story. Content itself is neutral. It only becomes “good” or “bad” once we assign meaning.
Two people can look at the same event and see completely different realities. One sees disaster. The other sees possibility. This is the power of intention: the lens through which we view our lives.
Most of us don’t resist the content—we resist the meaning we’ve given it. We label too quickly. We judge too soon. But what if we paused before reacting to a breakup, a setback, or an unexpected challenge? What if we created space for curiosity instead of control?
The Farmer and the Broken Leg: A Story About Meaning
A farmer’s son once broke his leg falling off a horse. Neighbors lamented, “How terrible!” The farmer replied, “Maybe.”
A week later, the army came to draft young men. His son, injured, was spared. “How wonderful!” said the neighbors. Again, the farmer replied, “Maybe.”
This story reminds us: the meaning of any moment is not fixed. What feels like failure today may become protection or redirection tomorrow. When we release instant judgment, we allow life to reveal its deeper wisdom.
Resistance Is Effortful. Flow Is Alive.
Resistance feels like paddling upstream. It’s exhausting. It shows up as snoozing through dread, forcing conversations, or clinging to outdated plans.
Flow, by contrast, feels alive. It’s not always easy, but it’s energizing. Flow is trust in the current—presence, humor, and openness even amid chaos.
In my own life, resistance feels tense and stuck. But when I shift into trust—even without knowing the outcome—I feel more creative, more responsive, more alive.
That’s the magic of flow.
Improvisation: The Gateway to Presence
One of my favorite tools in Starring In Your Life is improvisation.
Improv teaches us to say “Yes, and…” to whatever shows up. We accept the present and add something to it. This isn’t just for the stage—it’s for delayed flights, awkward silences, or unexpected opportunities.
Improvisation values presence over perfection, curiosity over control. It reminds us we always have something to offer—even before we know what it is.
When you embrace life as an improviser, you become more resilient, playful, and open. You stop waiting for the “perfect script” and start starring in your own story.
The Practice: Pause, Notice, Reframe
Here’s a simple method to shift from resistance to flow:
- Pause – Breathe before reacting. Give yourself a moment.
- Notice – Ask, “What story am I telling about this?” Is it fear, limitation, or failure?
- Reframe – What else could be true? What might this situation offer me?
Even a few days’ distance can transform your perspective, giving space for higher possibilities to emerge.
You Are the Star, Not the Circumstances
Your life is not defined by what happens—it’s defined by how you respond.
You don’t need to control every plot twist. You only need to bring awareness, grace, and creative courage to each moment.
So whatever chapter you’re in, release resistance. Say yes to the moment. Say yes to yourself. And trust: the next scene is already unfolding in your favor.
