Stuck On Books

Before my father died, he was reading “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu. He had mentioned that it was an excellent book and suggested that I read it. I recently found it on Audible and purchased it. By accident, I bought “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield, instead.  

There are no accidents in life.

By his own admission, author Steven Pressfield had made a royal mess of his life. He was a hopeless alcoholic, trying to become a great writer and in the process ruined all of his personal and professional relationships. Pressfield was on his way to becoming another human failure when, by a chance encounter with a neighbor, he learned about a powerful invisible force and with that knowledge–changed everything.

There is a force in the universe that is so powerful, no one is immune to it and everyone succumbs to it. It is insidious and its sole purpose is to wreak havoc on our lives. It aims to rob us of being in the spotlight. It prevents us from doing the work that we’re here to do on this planet. It has the same effect on humans as kryptonite on Superman. It is called resistance.                   

Have you ever bought exercise equipment that is now collecting dust under your bed or in your closet? Have you started a journal and within days stopped writing in it? Have you promised yourself that you’ll eat healthier only to break that promise within the same day? If you’ve answered yes to any or all of these questions, then you know resistance and it’s defeated you each time.

Procrastination in any form is resistance. I’ve learned that resistance get strongest when you’re close to finishing a project, a paper, or any task. When you’re near the end and about to accomplish something, resistance rears its head and works to defeat you.

So, are you allowed to take a break from a project, a paper or a task? Yes of course. But how do you know whether its a healthy break or just resistance? You know by how you feel afterwards. It’s  resistance, if after indulging in it, you feel empty. Food, alcohol, drugs, and sex can all be forms of resistance. After partaking, do you feel empowered or less than? If you take a walk in nature for inspiration and then return to your work inspired, then all is well. If you keep taking walks, and runs, go shopping and surf the web instead of sitting down and doing what needs to be done, then resistance is winning and you’re losing.                

It has been over two months since I became aware of its presence and its power. Awareness is always the first step. I do battle with resistance every day now. I wake up and talk directly to it. I let it know that I’m in charge today and this day it will not win.

Now that you’ve been made aware, you will see it and feel it every day. You are now better equipped than most to push through resistance and achieve everything you have ever desired.

Hoping this sticks…