The Art of Resistance

A couple of weeks ago I hoped to have one of my favorite characters, Moonlight, join me here for an interview. This week I got to do something even better: meet with Moonlight in her own setting, the Fortress Basin. The basin was even grander than I imagined, putting California's old growth redwood forests to shame. The greenery was greener, the trees more massive.  If not for the marauding outlaws popping up when you least expect them, I'd have stayed longer.

My first thought when meeting Moonlight was that I want to be just like her when I grow up-- strong, confident, self-reliant. She's six feet of muscle and grit, topped by white-blond tresses that seem to glow even in daylight. There's an air about her that makes me want to take kick-boxing, or one of those self-defense classes where you get to take down your attacker full force.

What I really wanted, though, was a lesson in Resistance. After experiencing the persuasive powers of Fillian Barnabas, I thought it wise to be better prepared in the future, just in case we come face to face again. The tips Moonlight gave might come in handy in the Real World, too, in those vulnerable moments of self-doubt and second guessing, when that savvy salesperson or that supervisor with the 'strong personality' is trying to pull one over on me.

Here it is in a nutshell, how to resist a Persuasive.

1. Find your center of power, the place inside you where YOU radiate from. For some it's in the solar plexus or heart. Others are centered in their gut. Taking a few quiet breaths helps with this step.

2. Imagine your center of power as a glowing sphere, and let it expand until it surrounds your entire body.

3. Choose a resistance mantra, something that affirms you as your own authority.  A simple one that Moonlight recommends is 'I am my truth; my truth is me.'

4. Avoid eye contact with all questionable Persuasives.

5. If eye contact is unavoidable, imagine pulling a shield down over your eyes to block out any insidious messages.

I think I left the Fortress Basin standing a little taller, glowing a little brighter. Almost hoping to run into Barnabas. Almost.

image courtesy of photostock/FreeDigitalPhotos.net