The other day I was trying to explain to my dog how pointless it is to resist.

We just came home from a walk, and he was anxious to get off the leash. He wanted to head back outside to see what was going on in the backyard.

As I reached out to unhook the leash, he pulled away. The harder he tugged, the more difficult it was to unleash him. With each tug and attempt to free himself he further delayed the time before he could check out the latest happenings in the backyard.

If he understood English, he would have heard me say, “The harder you pull, the longer it’s going to take to get outside!”

Finally, I was able to wrest the leash from around his neck, and he bolted towards the backyard and whatever he had his heart set on chasing.

In the heat of the moment, it’s hard to see what’s holding us back.

It was easy for me to tell him to be patient and expect him to trust he was going to get to explore the backyard. I didn’t have the collar around my neck.

I know when I’m caught up in the heat of the moment, it’s difficult to see that pulling or pushing in one direction is not going going to help me. At times, the easiest and most obvious course of action is temporarily hidden.

When we desperately want something, we work hard to get it. Often we see only one way to get it.

If we can see that letting go of the one path we’ve chosen and allow ourselves to be open to other alternatives, we open ourselves up to different paths that may not have any obstacles. One of those alternative paths might be the easiest and fastest way to get what we want.

When our dog was straining on the leash to get to the backyard, he was getting in his own way. He was creating resistance to get what he wanted – to chase something in the yard.

Take an active role in your life and remember to let go and allow the Universe to do its job. It’s so much easier to get what you want when you get out of your way!