The 2 Minute Book Review: excerpt from the book, my thoughts, and one practical life application.
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles By Steven Pressfield
2 minute read · By Warren Wong
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles By Steven Pressfield
Excerpt from the book:
“Our job in this lifetime is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it.”
“Socrates demonstrated long ago, that the truly free individual is free only to the extent of his own self-mastery. While those who will not govern themselves are condemned to find masters to govern over them.” – Steven Pressfield
Mastery of self is needed now more than ever. When we are faced with so many outside forces pulling at our attention, it is hard not to give in. But, it’s also a gentle reminder that we must fight even harder against it. Or let it ultimately, conquer us.
My thoughts:
An easy, short, and referenceable book of wisdom. I filled the margins and pages with personal notes. Here are some of the best ones:
- Master yourself, or you will be subjected to others will.
- Treat yourself as ME, Incorporated.
- Hold yourself accountable as a leader to subordinates.
- Write as if you are acting through a higher being, acting as a vessel.
- Sitting down is the hardest part of being a writer, the act of DOING.
- You will always have fear, no matter how much experience you have. You must act despite it.
- Recognize reality, and do not fool yourself thinking otherwise
Wise words:
“Could our unlived lives have exacted their vengeance upon us in the form of cancer?”
Our lives have meaning, only if we give it meaning. If we do not, it is almost the same as a part of us dying, decaying from the inside. Eerily similar to cancer.
“To labor in the arts for any reason other than love is prostitution.”
Pressfield’s words hit home the more I read them. My labor of writing provides me meaning, and that itself is the reward.
As Esquire puts in nicely, ‘A vital gem…a kick in the ass.”
Practical life application:
Courage is acting despite fear. Fear acts as a compass, guiding us to true north.
The more we fear something, the more our body and our soul is telling us to do it.
Buy The Book: The War of Art
Note: For the sake of brevity, I am not doing the book justice. I am only giving you a small glimpse of the book. So please get the book and read it for yourself.
Check out my recommended books section where I picked out my favorite books by year and all time favorites.