I knew I wanted to write novels, but I could not finish what I started. The closer I got, the more ways I'd find to screw it up.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the struggle of perseverance in creative endeavors, emphasizing the difficulty of overcoming self-doubt and setbacks.
In this quote, Steven Pressfield expresses the common challenge faced by writers and creatives: the desire to create but the difficulty in bringing a project to completion. He reflects on the self-sabotaging thoughts and distractions that arise as one nears the finish line, suggesting that the journey of creation is often fraught with internal conflicts that can prevent success if not addressed.
In practice
This quote can be used in a writing workshop to inspire aspiring authors facing their own challenges in finishing their stories.
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.
Persistence is very important. You should not give up unless you are forced to give up.
Embrace what makes you unique, even if it makes others uncomfortable. i didn't have to become perfect because I've learned throughout my journey that perfection is the enemy of greatness.
There's many things that you can do with your life. It doesn't necessarily - I think if you're in a creative sphere, or if you're hungry for experience, then those experiences don't necessarily happen like rungs of a ladder or in a linear way.
If I thought I could win one more soul to the Lord by walking on my head and playing the tambourine with my toes, I'd learn how!
A quality martial artist is always ready for any move, and trains oneself invincible.
I can remember back to my early tour days when some fellows didn't think I'd last too long. Nothing physical - they said it was my swing. Some said it was too much of a 'muscle swing' to stand the test of time. One fellow predicted I wouldn't get past 30 out there.
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