Introduction: Resistance

A 181 pages long, non-fiction book- The War of Art is written by American author Steven Pressfield. The book starts with an introduction to the Unlived life, followed by Resistance- Defining the Enemy, Combating Resistance- Turning Pro and Beyond Resistance- The Higher Realm.

How did I come to know about this book?

After purchasing the book 'Atomic Habits' on the recommendation of Ali Abdaal, I decided to try a few more books. This was one of them. He has a video dedicated to explaining the book's summary. Later, I discovered one of Matt D'Avella's 'Six Books That Changed My Life' videos that mentioned this book.

For those who are unaware, Matt D'Avella, Ali Abdaal, Captain Sinbad, Nathaniel Drew, and Joey Schweitzer are all considered Productivity Gurus on YouTube.

So, Let's Start!

Have you experienced this ever-

You heard or read something which made you laugh, but in that very instance, you know it's a serious problem and it's going to take you nowhere.

I felt the same when I read these lines:

'I can procrastinate thinking about my procrastination problem. I can procrastinate dealing with my problem of procrastinating thinking about my procrastination problem.'

Resistance

The author says that most of us have two lives- the life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.

⚠️ CAUTION - The following paragraphs might hit you hard ⚠️

Have you ever brought home a yoga mat or a pair of dumbbells and let it gather dust?

Ever quit a diet, meditation practice or a Udemy or Coursera course?

Got so excited when you received a free or discounted membership/subscription, only to never use it until you started receiving the renewal notification?

Do you find yourself constantly jumping from one click-bait YouTube video to the next, all because you want to be that person or you want to have the lifestyle of that person?

Have you ever wished to campaign for world peace, protect the environment, assist malnourished people, discover a cure for cancer, put an end to corruption, or find solutions to unemployment?

Are you a painter who doesn't paint, a guitarist who doesn't play the guitar, an influencer who is afraid to put himself/herself out there, an entrepreneur who never starts a venture, a designer who avoids design?

Then you know what Resistance is.

Resistance is the most toxic force on the planet. It is the root of more unhappiness than poverty, disease, and erectile dysfunction. Every sun casts a shadow, and a genius's shadow is Resistance. As powerful as is our soul's call to realization, so powerful are the forces of Resistance arrayed against it.

The author says-

'I looked everywhere for the enemy and failed to see it right in front of my face.'

Have you heard this story: A man is diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live. Within days, he quits his job, resumes his dream of travelling around the world which he gave up raising his family. Everyone thinks he's insane, but he's never been happier. There's a postscript. The man's cancer goes into remission.

Is that what it takes?

Do we have to stare death in the face to make us stand up and confront Resistance?

How many of us have become drunks, succumbed to painkillers, gossip, and compulsive cell phone use, simply because we don't do that thing that our hearts is calling us to?

'You think Resistance isn't real? Resistance will bury you.'

If tomorrow morning by some stroke of magic every soul on this planet 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, road rage, and dandruff.

My favourite lines:

There's a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don't, and the secret is this:

It's not the writing part that's hard.

What's hard is sitting down to write.

What keeps us from sitting down is Resistance!

Happy Reading !