Must Read Book! The War Of Art
The War Of ArtSteven Pressfield | Breaking through barriers.
RESISTANCE - Defining the Enemy Resistance cannot be seen, touched, heard, or smelled. But it can be felt. It's a repelling force. It's negative. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work. Resistance is not a peripheral opponent.
Resistance arises from within. It is self-generated and self-perpetuated. Resistance is the enemy within. Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. It will assume any form if that's what it takes to deceive you.
It cannot be reasoned with. It understands nothing but power. It is an engine of destruction, programmed from the factory with one object only: to prevent us from doing our work. We're wrong if we think we're the only ones struggling with Resistance. Everyone who has a body experiences Resistance.
Resistance has no strength of its own. Every ounce of juice it possesses comes from us. We feed it with power by our fear of it. Resistance obstructs movement only from a lower sphere to a higher. It kicks in when we seek to pursue a calling in the arts, launch an innovative enterprise, or evolve to a higher station morally, ethically, or spiritually.
The danger is greatest when the finish line is in sight. At this point, Resistance knows we 're about to beat it. It hits the panic button. It marshals one last assault and slams us with everything it's got.
Symptoms Procrastination, Sex, Trouble, Self-Dramatization, Self-Medication, Victimhood, Unhappiness, Criticism, Self-Doubt, Fear, Isolation, Rationalization Professional The amateur plays for fun. The professional plays for keeps. To the amateur, the game is his avocation. To the pro it's his vocation. The amateur plays part-time, the professional full-time. The amateur is a weekend warrior. The professional is there seven days a week. In my view, the amateur does not love the game enough. If he did, he would not pursue it as a sideline, distinct from his "real" vocation.
The professional loves it so much he dedicates his life to it.
He commits full-time. That's what I mean when I say turning pro. Resistance hates it when we turn pro. The artist committing himself to his calling has volunteered for hell, whether he knows it or not. He will be dining for the duration on a diet of isolation, rejection, self-doubt, despair, ridicule, contempt, and humiliation. We show up to work every day We show up no matter what We stay on the job all day We are committed over the long haul The stakes for us are high and real We accept remuneration for our labor We do not overidentify with our jobs We master the technique of our jobs We have a sense of humor about our jobs We receive praise or blame in the real world
