September 9, 2020

Resistance

Two days ago, I set a goal for myself to write one blog post and one page a day. Since then, my refrigerator died and I had to buy bags of ice and try to salvage what I could into coolers. That was yesterday.

Today, I had to work over and got home pretty late.

Coincidence?

Maybe, but maybe not.

In THE WAR OF ART, the author talks about “resistance.”

The following is a list, in no particular order, of those activities that most commonly elicit Resistance: 1)   The pursuit of any calling in writing, painting, music, film, dance, or any creative art, however marginal or unconventional.

Pressfield, Steven. The War of Art . Black Irish Entertainment LLC. Kindle Edition.

He describes “resistance” this way:

Resistance cannot be seen, touched, heard, or smelled. But it can be felt. We experience it as an energy field radiating from a work-in-potential. It’s a repelling force. It’s negative. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work.

Pressfield, Steven. The War of Art . Black Irish Entertainment LLC. Kindle Edition.

In other words, as soon as a writer begins to dedicate themselves to their craft, an invisible enemy attacks. Attacks in the form of events and circumstances. Not that a busted refrigerator or having to work late prevents me from writing, but it does incite me to say any number of excuses to myself to justify not writing because of those events.

It is important to fight resistance. Pressfield goes on to tell us what’s at stake:

Resistance seems to come from outside ourselves. We locate it in spouses, jobs, bosses, kids. “Peripheral opponents,” as Pat Riley used to say when he coached the Los Angeles Lakers. Resistance is not a peripheral opponent. Resistance arises from within. It is self-generated and self-perpetuated. Resistance is the enemy within.

Pressfield, Steven. The War of Art . Black Irish Entertainment LLC. Kindle Edition.

It comes from within, and the stakes are everything:

RESISTANCE PLAYS FOR KEEPS
Resistance’s goal is not to wound or disable. Resistance aims to kill. Its target is the epicenter of our being: our genius, our soul, the unique and priceless gift we were put on earth to give and that no one else has but us. Resistance means business. When we fight it, we are in a war to the death.

Pressfield, Steven. The War of Art . Black Irish Entertainment LLC. Kindle Edition.

I think everyone should read and re-read this book. It is our battle plan against all that comes against us.

So, did I write today?

You bet your ass I did. And it sucked. The writing was terrible, but that’s okay, too.

How many pages have I produced? I don’t care. Are they any good? I don’t even think about it. All that matters is I’ve put in my time and hit it with all I’ve got. All that counts is that, for this day, for this session, I have overcome Resistance.

Pressfield, Steven. The War of Art . Black Irish Entertainment LLC. Kindle Edition.

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