Monsters Drop Loot
The Sacred Game of Hunting Resistance
When you first arrive in a new level of a game, you do what most players do: avoid the monsters.
You’re underpowered. Underequipped. And the enemies are loitering outside the safe zone waiting to eat you alive.
The only sensible thing to do is stick to the outskirts. Farm the easy stuff. Gather experience. And tell yourself you’ll deal with the werewolves eventually. It’s all fun and games until you realize that cool weapon, or new set of armor can only be crafted with werewolf pelts.
The monster you’ve been avoiding is the only thing that can give you what you need to advance to the next level.
Now the game changes, and hiding doesn’t really serve you.
All the stealthy tactics feel like wasted time. Now you’re not just trying to survive the level.
You’re actively hunting monsters.
Life is the same way.
The parts of ourselves we try to avoid, (self-doubt, insecurity, imposter syndrome, scarcity fears, visibility shame) are the exact places we have to explore if we want to unlock new abilities and access new territories.
The resistance we experience is not a flaw in the game.
It is the game.
And the monsters drop loot.
My Monster
Life is good right now, but I’m still battling my own werewolf: self-doubt.
Presenting myself as a creator, showing up with my ideas, and attempting to using art to carve out a better life—it still feels awkward sometimes.
A part of me thinks I’m asking for too much. Or that I haven’t earned the right to speak, and build, and share.
I’ve also been carrying a scarcity shadow for way too long. An old stubborn blockage that says investing in myself is irresponsible. That money should only be moving towards what’s necessary, not into creativity.
I’ve been standing my ground though.
Sticking to my sacred systems. Trusting the process. Publishing consistently. Farming small wins. Slowly collecting loot: a little more confidence, a little more clarity, a little more momentum.
I took a baby step out of my comfort zone and started putting my face in some videos, which for me, is like an end game boss battle. I’m not completely comfortable yet, but I’m officially out of hiding.
And recently, I did something that would’ve been completely out of character for the old me: I bought myself a camera.
Not because I have a master plan. Not because I’m sure of a particular outcome.
I did it because this path matters. And because my creative life deserves better tools.
Procrastinating on this investment wasn’t protecting me, it was helping me play small.
The camera is more than just a piece of equipment, It’s an achievement. A reminder that I don’t need permission to take myself seriously.
Playing Safe Has an Expiration Date
In video games, if you keep farming weak enemies, after a while you get diminishing returns.
The experience you gain tapers off and the loot becomes irrelevant. It’s an empty grind.
The things that used to feel like progress start to feel boring and repetitive.
The game is trying to tell you something:
“It’s time to fight bigger monsters.”
Same with life. Playing small works, until it doesn’t.
Hiding feels safe at first, but at some point, there’s nothing else to gain. Growth stops. The fun fades. And the only thing left is the resistance you were avoiding.
The good news is, in the gaming world, resistance is a guide. Whenever you get lost, you’ll know you’re going in the right direction when the enemies show up.
It’s a pretty genius mechanic. The things we don’t want to deal with are leading us to the places we want to go.
Becoming the Hunter
My monsters don’t scare me like they used to.
These days, I try to move toward the hard things instead of away from them. Not always confidently, but consistently.
I’ve played this game enough times to know my discomfort is a compass.
That tension I feel is not a stop sign.
The fear is different now. Less like a warning, more like a puzzle I can solve.
I don’t see the monsters as enemies anymore. I see them as thresholds that I need to cross. Stepping stones on the path to my next iteration.
I don’t chase them with aggression and I don’t try to conquer them with force.
I study them. I approach with respect.
Because I know what hides behind resistance is usually something sacred.
The Sacred Game of Self-Discovery.
Whatever your monster is—whether it’s visibility, perfectionism, scarcity, or imposter syndrome—it’s not here to stop you.
It’s here to serve you.
It’s holding everything you need to get the next level. Our job is to face it and transmute it into energy that serves the journey.
This is the real game we’re all playing, so we might as well play with purpose.
Don’t avoid the hard parts—move towards them with intrigue and resilience.
Because in this simulation, resistance is not the enemy.
It’s the boss battle before the breakthrough.
Every time we’ve ever leveled up, it was because we stopped hiding, faced our fear and passed through the gates.
This is the sacred loop.
You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to stop running.
Next time something scary jumps out to block the path, remember:
Monsters drop loot.
I’m experimenting with something new, so I’d like to offer a journal prompt to meditate on this week.
What ‘monster’ have I been avoiding in my creative or personal life, and how can I approach this resistance with reverence instead of avoidance?
Thank you for reading, and for being on this journey with me.
You are greatly appreciated.
If any of this resonated for you, please leave me a comment and subscribe for more.
Wow. This is a powerfully important piece for me to find today. I’ve been lurking around the monsters that haunt me for decades and yesterday I developed a functional plan to end my avoidance. Every word of your post resonated. I’ve never been into video games, but my boys love them so I try to see the value. I’ll admit, it hasn’t been an easy acceptance process- I always wanted them to be playing outside— but now I’m seeing how there is something marvelous about gaming that I never understood before. Recently, I’ve been consciously living through a period of spiritual/artistic leveling up, guided by my healer, trying to conquer/break the spells of self-doubt and self-sabotage. I’m at the point where I feel ready to face my monsters. I’ve studied them closely, now I feel prepared to -as you so wisely say- approach them with respect.
This is also so true: “what hides behind resistance is usually something sacred.”
Thank you for sharing your wisdom so poignantly. I really needed the boost of courage that comes from your sense of clarity. You help me see the loot, you help shine light on the veil. It has become transparent.
I’m attempting to turn my beasts into a business of artistic creations in the Blue Butterfly Studio’s Silicon Chrysalis. Telling you about it in a note here is an action in and of itself, it’s a form of commitment to myself to which someone else might nod.
Thank you for unveiling The Game: Resistance!
(Do you develop video games?? Does this one already exist? If not… you ought to go ahead and script it!!)
So good. So helpful.
I enjoyed listening to the pace of your narration. I felt engaged the entire time 📝👀🎧