In what will become a recurring series of posts, this is the first book recommendation featured on my website and it is concerning one of the most valuable books I’ve ever read. I am speaking of The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

To put it simply, this small book is all about overcoming resistance, and your inner battles, to accomplish something truly great in your life. This could be anything from getting the perfect career, writing the next great American novel, marrying your ideal significant other, creating a lasting and successful entrepreneurial venture, and everything in between. The message that Mr. Pressfield discusses in this work is one of the most valuable lessons one will ever learn. This lesson comes from the mouths of many of the world’s top performers and most well known success stories. This lesson comes in many different languages and uses many different words. All of these words, however, are saying the same thing. In order to meet and exceed our potential in life we must learn to master ourselves.

This simple sentence is at the heart of some of the most profoundly successful ventures throughout history. It’s inverse, being mastered by our resistance, unfortunately defines the lives of countless millions. Resistance is fueled by fear and we must master our fear in order to conquer resistance.

You might be asking yourself what I mean by this. What is resistance? What are concrete examples of it? 

“Resistance is any act that prefers immediate gratification to long-term growth, health, or integrity.”

– Steven Pressfield 

          Imagine an aspiring writer. You might even have a friend like this or this might refer directly to you. This person tells everyone about the book they are planning to write. This person discusses in depth the grand platitudes to be discovered through the experience of reading their imagined book. When asked how far along they are the answer is formless and without strength. The reason this person has not accomplished their goal is resistance. 

“The difference between the life we live and the unlived life within us is born by resistance.”

– Steven Pressfield 

          The worst part of this force known as resistance is that it is invisible, implacable, and horrifically insidious. If allowed it will box you into a cage of fear that will give you the false impression that you are fine. That is it’s greatest strength, and the thing we, as creators, must fight against ruthlessly. It’s ability to convince us that everything is ok. Resistance will even recruit allies to help convince us of the ultimate correctness of our current state of being. Our primary weapon against this mediocrity is the ability to listen and understand what our soul tells us is the right thing to do. It is a battle we all must fight everyday.

After all, when we have learned to master ourselves we become free.

I’m not there yet but I’m on my way. 

Read the book and let me know how it helps you.