The Garlic
Journey
A guided reflection on the things we resist, avoid, and refuse to reconsider — and how to tell the difference between resistance that protects us, and resistance that's just an old story we've never gone back to question.
Before you begin
We all have our own version of garlic — something we avoid, reject, resist, or refuse to reconsider, often without ever asking why.
Sometimes that resistance is wise. It may be telling you that something genuinely isn't healthy, safe, or right for you — and if that's what you find as you go through this, the answer is simple: keep protecting that.
Work through the nine parts in order. Answer honestly rather than neatly. Repetition is normal — it's often where the real answer surfaces.
This exercise won't ask you to push through anything that keeps you safe. It will ask you to look, honestly, at the difference between "this protects me" and "this is just what I've always done."
Find your garlic
Think about your life right now. What is one thing you strongly resist, avoid, or refuse to reconsider?
What does my body say?
When you encounter this thing, what happens inside you?
Where did this come from?
Our reactions don't always begin with us. Sometimes they're shaped by what we experienced, observed, were taught, or absorbed.
The belief behind the resistance
Complete the sentence, then test it.
"If I were to do, experience, or consider this, it would mean
What am I missing?
Imagine, for a moment, that your current position isn't completely wrong — but also not completely informed.
Protection, or conditioning?
This may be the most important question in the whole assessment.
The experiment
Not a dramatic, life-changing decision. One small, safe, reversible step that lets you gather new information.
What did I discover?
Come back to this page after your experiment.
My new position
"I used to believe . Now I understand ."
"I don't necessarily need to love or accept everything. But I am willing to ."
The Garlic Journey reflection
Sometimes personal growth doesn't begin with changing our behaviour. It begins with becoming curious about why we behave the way we do.
There may be things in your life that genuinely aren't for you. Keep your boundaries. Keep your discernment. Keep your wisdom.
But also ask yourself: have I made this decision based on knowledge, or based on an old reaction? Your next level may not require you to become a different person. It may simply require you to revisit something you decided a long time ago.
— Nomveliso Mbanga
I am Nomveliso Mbanga — and I invite you to a different perspective.