“Most of us have lived two lives. The life we live, and the unloved life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.”
No, this has nothing to do with Tiger Woods. Or maybe it does. I think it maybe has more to do with you and who you are and where you sit right this very moment.
It’s also about taking one small step each day and the power of what my partner Roy calls “incremental little bits.”
The opening quote comes from bestselling author Steven Pressfield’s “The War of Art” – which I’ve recommended here but was encouraged to pick up yesterday for the first time in several months after reading my friend and partner Jeff Sexton’s feature about one of the author’s lessons – how to open big and set hooks for readers – over at copyblogger.
The first thing I highlighted a couple years ago when I first read The War of Art (emphasis added):
“If tomorrow morning by some stroke of magic every dazed and benighted soul woke up with the power to take the first step toward pursuing his or her dreams, every shrink in the directory would be out of business. Prisons would stand empty. The alcohol and tobacco industries would collapse, along with the junk food, cosmetic surgery, and infotainment businesses, not to mention pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and the medical profession from top to bottom. Domestic abuse would become extinct, as would addiction, obesity, migraine headaches, and dandruff.
“Look in your own heart. Unless I’m crazy, right now a still small voice is piping up, telling you as it has ten thousand times, the calling that is yours and yours alone. You know it. No one has to tell you. And unless I’m crazy, you’re no closer to taking action on it than you were yesterday or will be tomorrow. You think Resistance isn’t real? Resistance will bury you.”
Feel familiar? If that tiny passage from the prologue made you feel anything, I whole-heartedly encourage you to pick up a copy of The War of Art today. We’ll read it together over the holidays and share little victories. I will help you celebrate any small step.
What calling is yours and yours alone?
I suggest buying this book is your first small step.
I’m not a life coach. I’m not even sure what a life coach is. I would rather eat paint than be considered a motivational speaker pumping you full of short-term-happy-talk. I’m just another guy trying to figure things out. Part of figuring things out is thinking, sure, but the more important ingredient is doing stuff.
What do you say? Want to do some stuff?
We’ll all have ample time off in the coming weeks to reflect. Great timing on the post, Tim. It’s a variation on Napoleon Hill’s “if you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do next” theme. Easy to think about. Hard to do. Thanks for the encouragement.
Tim,
What a great post! You pulled am awesome quote from the book. Can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying your new blog. Thanks for the post and for the link/plug.
– Jeff
Tim,
Thank You…I love reading about your son and his strength. As well, I just downloaded this book to my kindle. I want us to work together in 2010 and hopefully we can get that opportunity. Thank you for leading the way!
@Jeff – Thanks – You could build a whole blog out of pull quotes from that book. My copy’s pretty marked up …
@Michael – You’re very kind. He’s my life that kid. Enjoy the holidays with your wife and … Gracie, isn’t it? Best wishes in 2010 for whatever the accident will …