Do you love your idea? Does it feel right on instinct? Are you willing to bleed for it?
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of passion and commitment to one's ideas.
In this quote, Steven Pressfield urges individuals to deeply connect with their ideas, suggesting that true love for one's work goes beyond mere interest. It requires a strong instinctual affinity and a readiness to endure hardship and sacrifice in pursuit of those ideas, highlighting the dedication necessary for success.
In practice
During a motivational speech at a startup conference.
Late at night have you experienced a vision of the person you might become, the work you could accomplish, the realized being you were meant to be? Are you a writer who doesn't write, a painter who doesn't paint, an entrepreneur who never starts a venture? Then you know what Resistance is.
It is one thing to study war and another to live the warrior's life.
The amateur believes he must first overcome his fear; then he can do his work. The professional knows that fear can never be overcome. He knows there is no such thing as a fearless warrior or a dread-free artist.
When we sit down day after day and keep grinding, something mysterious starts to happen... Unseen forces enlist in our cause; serendipity reinforces our purpose.
You know, Hitler wanted to be an artist. At eighteen he took his inheritance, seven hundred kronen, and moved to Vienna to live and study... Ever see one of his paintings? Neither have I. Resistance beat him. Call it overstatement but I'll say it anyway: it was easier for Hitler to start World War II than it was for him to face a blank square of canvas.
Itβs better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot.
You should never be defined by what you do, by the things you have; you've got to define yourself by who you are and who you impact and how you impact people. And that's the thing I try to get across to my players.
Make your mistakes, take your chances, look silly, but keep on going. Donβt freeze up.
There is no easy way out. If there were, I would have bought it. And believe me, it would be one of my favorite things!
Always try the problem that matters most to you.
This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world. Thank you. Good night, and God bless America.
If you play football, there's going to be a 100 percent injury rate. Something is going to be bothering you. So I just try to focus on the things that I can do to help my team.
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