The Resistance

“We’re facing dragons too. Fire-breathing griffins of the soul, whom we must outfight and outwit to reach the treasure of our self-in-potential and to release the maiden who is God’s plan and destiny for ourselves and the answer to why we were put on this planet.”

Steven Pressfield, The War of Art

All my life I’ve been plagued by these “fire-breathing griffins of the soul.” But not the pointed-tail emissaries of Satan that imbue the fundamentalist-tinged imagination.

In fact, this vast legion can and should be reduced to nay, but one…

me.

I am my worst enemy.

What Steven Pressfield dubs “the resistance” in the book that I’ve just finished reading, The War of Art, originates squarely between my own two ears.

Even as I write these words, the resistance is upon me. It confuses me. Whispers in my ear things like, it’s not worth it, people will laugh, you don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, stop this nonsense and be responsible…you’ve got mouths to feed, and so on.

Lately the resistance has been telling me that it’s best just to hang these ideas up once and for all…after all you’re 52 years old, broke and that’s not a good place to start from. Better crawl into bed, or a bottle.

Seth Godin explains the resistance as a biological force. It’s that part of our brain, the amygdala, that’s responsible for our most base emotions. The amygdala is the part that kicks in when we are faced with a physical threat. My chickens have an amygdala. That’s why each time I reach down to pick one up, she reflexively ducks down as if to avoid the blow that will turn her into lunch.

The amygdala can make you sick to your stomach. Why is it that public speaking is the most fearful activity a human can engage in?

The amygdala.

But what keeps some from plunging ahead in spite of the nausea?

The resistance.

Pressfield likens the resistance to something a bit more sinister. A evil force whose aim is to rob humans of their god-given potential. One that wants to keep us tired and defeated until the day when we really are tired and defeated.

Why is that?

Why would there be such a force?

Where does it originate?

Why does it exist in the first place?

Maybe the two forces work in concert…the lizard-brain and resistance…to hold us at bay.

But again, the question is, why?

Perhaps the answer lies in religious concepts, like good and evil. That evil is always at work to prevent good from occurring. The resistance is one of its main weapons. And it has the benefit of the amygdala (or, as Godin refers, the “lizard brain”) to keep us in reflexive check.

Evil is always at work to prevent good from occurring. The resistance is one of its main weapons.

Societal structure is in line with this notion of resistance. We are taught from an early age not to color outside of the lines. Conform, don’t resist. To follow creative impulses can lead you down a disastrous path.

So the resistance gains momentum.

We become increasingly obedient to its demands as we grow older. As a child it was easier to ignore it, because we were ignorant of the consequences of doing so. But those days are gone. Now we know very clearly what those consequences are.

And they scare the hell out of us.

So the resistance wins, or does it?

Depends.

And who or what does it depend on?

Me.

I alone can defeat the resistance.

Pressfield likens it to the proverbial schoolyard bully.

Stand your ground and the resistance will cower and run for the hills.

But the resistance is also resilient. So, to defeat it, you have to be even more-so. It’s war. The war is won on countless daily battlefields of engagement.

There’s a great deal of good riding on this. It’s not just my future, but the future of anyone who could be positively impacted by what is bottled up inside of me…and you.

It’s the war of art.

Don’t let it!