053 | Transcending Resistance
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053 | Transcending Resistance
March 15, 2021
Minute of Transparency: Oblivious Driving
Today's Topic: Transcending Resistance
In this episode:
Resistance With a Capital "R"
Create Your Flag
Protect & Fly Your Flag
// 1. RESISTANCE WITH A CAPITAL "R"
So this is one of those episodes I've been eagerly awaiting to write and record.
It's a topic I have struggled with my entire life. In one form or fashion. And yet, I haven't always had words to describe the feeling, or situation.
At least not until recently.
In 2018 I really started to dive into the whole writing thing. Now I had been writing off an on my whole life. But this was different. My 2012 idea for a science fiction trilogy series had really started to weigh on me. And I was wrestling with how to get it started and how to keep things moving.
And in this quest, I started to immerse myself in the writing culture. I remember ordering 10 of the top writing books from Amazon. Two that had an amazing impact on me:
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron - A philosophical look at what it means to be creative, and live out the life of a dedicated writer or artist
On Writing by Stephen King - Partly a story of his life and the rest a simple, succinct take on what it means to write well
And shortly after that I found The Story Grid, and its podcast by Shawn Coyne. This book and the podcast episodes that supported it became my lifeline for a long time. I was immediately drawn to it - probably because of my personality, and my desire for order, consistency and standardization. It offered a formulaic approach to writing. A methodology almost mathematical in nature that if followed could provide the very thing readers were looking for in a book like yours.
I couldn't get enough - I was hooked, and soaked up every little bit I could.
But somewhere in there I realized that I was spending 80% of my time consuming content about writing, and very little time actually writing.
At first I shrugged this off - I mean I'm learning, and I need to understand this stuff in order to write well.
I looked at the first 6 chapters of my book - written before the Story Grid epiphany - and knew it wasn't good enough. It would all have to be reworked if I was to truly adhere to the Story Grid method.
But at the same time I still felt the guilt that came with learning, but not actually doing the work.
Then at some point I heard Shawn mention a guy named Stephen Pressfield. At first it just sounded like someone he knew back when he was an editor - a guy who wrote books - one of which hit big and actually became a movie called, The Legend of Bagger Vance.
But over time I realized that this guy was more than just an acquaintance - they were friends - and actually worked together on the Story Grid stuff.
And then - I found an episode where Shawn Coyne interviewed Steven Pressfield - and it all became clear.
Shawn Coyne worked with Steven Pressfield on some of his major books, and introduced Steven to the Story Grid concept - which ultimately helped sharpen the sword so to speak and made the books even more successful.
But this isn't why I bring up Steven Pressfield. It's because of a little book he wrote back in 2012 called, The War of Art.
Not only did I keep hearing Shawn Coyne reference it on the Story Grid Podcast, but other writers referred to this little book as well. Typically when they talked about how to keep moving forward when they got stuck, or experienced writers block.
So at some point I picked it up and read it for myself.
And it was magical. Because it shined a spotlight on the very things I was going through as a writer. Not just the things I was doing to sabotage my own progress. But things the world would do to me as well!
So this episode will include many of the ideas and concepts presented in The War of Art. So if you like what you hear - head over to Amazon and get a copy for yourself.
Before reading the book, I thought my biggest problems were:
Not having enough time due to family, work and other responsibilities
Falling into procrastination once and a while
But after reading the book - I was able to label the real problem as "Resistance" with a capital "R."
According to Pressfield, "Resistance is the most toxic force on the planet."
It is an overarching force that seeks to derail any good and noble pursuit you may have in life. As a writer, this means your writing. As an artist, it means the art you hope to create, as an actor, it means the role you long to play.
Resistance is there - attacking all of us. Any time we try to launch something good into the world - it's there as the equal and opposite force.
In the book he defines how Resistance works, and it's everything from:
Self doubt
Fear
Believing lies
Self sabotage
Procrastination
Jealousy
Getting caught up in drama
Self medicating
Playing the victim
Feeling sad, unhappy, depressed because of the slow progress
Focus on success vs. the process
Isolating
Rationalization
See why it's so insidious?
Resistance is a 4 star general marshaling thousands of troops in your direction to keep you from reaching your goal.
And in the third section of the book, Pressfield touches on something that Transcend Human believes to be true - that there is something bigger going on. Something deeper. Something spiritual.
He calls this section, "Beyond Resistance: The Higher Realm" and it is here where he discusses the "Muse." He explains that the Muse is a force for good that gives us the creative ideas and helps us pull them out of the darkness and into the light. It is a force we can tap into by methodically doing our part each and every day. With hard work and dedication we slowly allow the Muse to work through us and eventually we accomplish the thing we were created to accomplish.
And all along the way we have Resistance with a capital "R" on our tail - telling us we can't do it, telling us we aren't good enough, telling us we'll never have what it takes, and putting barrier after barrier in our way to block the road to us completing our calling.
And as I finished the book - I realized why I was so drawn to it:
It was partly due to the raw, in your face explanation that yes, the world is against you. But it is also up to you to fight back. Don't just lie down and take it - accepting that you won't succeed because life is hard. You have the power to make little decisions every day that push back against Resistance, and ultimately you can win
And the other piece that drew me in was the similarity to what we've talked about on this very podcast:
Yes, we use different terms - but the truth is the same
Transcend Human would suggest God is the Muse. He speaks into each and every one of us the truth of who we are, what we can accomplish and how we can uniquely impact the world
But Satan is diametrically opposed to that reality. He knows we each have a gift to give to the world. He knows we each have the ability to make progress in our lives, and to grow and mature. But he hates that about us - and wants nothing more than to block our progress and cause us to fail. Like Resistance with a capital "R" he uses everything at his disposal to distract us, confuse us, wear us out, sadden us and eventually block us from accomplishing our goals
So if we look at it that way - Satan is Resistance.
Satan is there behind every little thing that gets in our way. The things the world throws at us, and the internal things we struggle with like procrastination and fear.
Now Pressfield's book is heavily geared toward art - and the creative process. But right at the beginning he lists other areas in your life where you will meet Resistance:
Starting a diet
Starting an exercise plan
Starting a business
Starting a program to overcome an addiction
Starting an educational pursuit
Staring a nonprofit, or social justice endeavor
Working to have a strong marriage, and successful family
So obviously - Resistance isn't just something creatives experience. It is that toxic force in the universe that impacts us all.
In my own life I've seen it play out on both levels:
First, I've seen it play out in my creative endeavors:
It seems like the more passionate I become about a project, the more obstacles pop up out of the blue
My work life picks up. Freelance projects start back up again. Something will happen in the family. We take a few kids in through the Safe Families program. And it is easy to say, "Well, things are a little busy right now - I guess I'll just hold off on my stuff."
And at the same time, the internal struggles get louder. I feel unqualified, I lie to myself, I feel the tension that comes with not moving forward, I feel like I'll never finish and I get distracted by good things like research, reading and learning more about writing
And I also see the power of Resistance in just trying to better myself:
I recently decided that I had been sedentary for way too long
So I came up with a plan:
Get up around 6:30 every day (M-F)
Run M, W, F
Write on Tu, Th
I put it on my calendar and resolved to make it happen
I had this plan ready to go on a Thursday night, and by Sunday I couldn't believe all of the things that happened to make my Monday morning start more difficult:
I can't remember all of the things that happened as it was a few weeks ago.
I probably should have written them down because it was almost comical!
I mean, ridiculous stuff - stuff you just can't make up:
Over the weekend someone scheduled an 8a work call on Monday morning - we rarely ever do 8a calls - and while it didn't completely overlap with my scheduled run, it meant I needed to adjust the time to ensure I got a shower in before the call
Sunday night my son's computer just decided it no longer wanted to allow him to listen to Apple Music. Out of the blue! So I was up later than I wanted to be helping troubleshoot that
And those are just the two things that come to mind
I remember at the time almost throwing up my hands - feeling that the universe was out to get me
And the next week turned out to be the same. Two of the three mornings I was to get up and run - it was raining! In Southern California! Can you believe it? We don't get rain, but when we do, apparently it knows when people are trying to create positive, new habits!
And that's how it works. The universe WAS out to get me. And the universe IS out to get you.
Call it the universe, call it Resistance or feel free to call it Satan.
But there is a force aligned against us. It wants us to fail. Because it knows that if too many of us succeed at our creative pursuits, in bettering ourselves or in strengthening our families - the world will be better for it.
And Resistance wants no part of that. Satan's goal is to keep positive and inspiring things from happening - and for the world to eventually tear itself apart.
Don't take my word for it. The Bible does a really good job at describing Satan, and his desire for this world. Here are just a few examples:
"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are." 1 Peter 5:8-9
"Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:11-12
"The thief’s (or Satan's) purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." John 10:10
[Love this one because it shows the good vs. the bad. That Satan wants to do us harm, but God wants us to prosper]
"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." 1 Corinthians 10:13
[This verse really drives home the point that we all experience Satan's anger, but that there is a way out. With God's help - we win]
Pretty crazy right?
Steven Pressfield is right on the money when he begins to spiritualize the concept of Resistance.
Because there is a spiritual force behind it. A dark, evil force pushing back against every good thing we try to accomplish or become.
// 2. FIND YOUR FLAG
So now that we understand the concept of Resistance, and the true enemy we have. What do we do? And how do we know when we're experiencing it in our lives?
Well - for a detailed explanation of the ways it impacts us - I would recommend you get The War of Art and read it for yourself.
But at the same time I think there are some simple conclusions we can draw in the next few minutes.
And I'd like to start by offering up an illustration.
Remember the playground game we all used to play called Capture the Flag?
It was right up there with freeze tag, kick the can and red rover.
Now I'm sure there are a variety of rule variations, but the central concept is the same right?
You split up into two teams
Each team has a flag and a side of the playing field
Each team tries to capture the other teams flag and return it to their side of the playing field
If you're captured on the opponents side you go to a designated jail area until you can be rescued by another player from your team
And when it comes to the flag - you just find something quick to be the flag. Maybe it's an extra shirt someone had, or a jacket. Or something like that.
But one year at summer camp - I saw a much more meaningful version of capture the flag.
All of the kids were split up into 4 groups - similar to the houses at Hogwarts - in the Harry Potter series.
Each team had a color, and a name. And at some point on the first day, there was an arts project that involved designing your flag.
A lot of thought went into this flag. Each group of kids had to work together to think through their goals for the week, the values they held to be true, and what they wanted to stand for. And that translated into an official crest, and imagery on their flag.
When completed, this flag flew over their section of the camp. It went with them everywhere they went. On the last day of camp it was carried by the team leader as they marched into closing ceremonies. And yes - at some point that week it was the flag used in capture the flag.
It was amazing how much more meaningful that game was than any of the playground capture the flags I had played before.
And it all came down to the flag we were protecting.
Which is odd - right? Because when most people play capture the flag they think about the capture part - taking the other teams flag. It's right there in the name of the game.
But when I played this time, it was more about protecting our flag. Making sure we did everything in our power NOT to let it be taken. We had worked so hard on it, and we knew they wouldn't treat it they way we did.
All that to illustrate this...
Each of us individually has a flag. We each have something unique to us - something that Pressfield would say the universe, or the Muse is wanting to give to us. Or help us find, or uncover:
Some of us know exactly what it is - we've found our flag
Others are close, and are on a quest to figure it out once and for all
And there are others who may not even know there's a flag to find. They're simply living their lives oblivious to the gift they have been given
So what about you? Have you found your flag?
Have you thought it through
Have you realized how the Creator put you together?
How you were built, and the special gift you've been given?
That gift that only you know how to give back to the world, in your special way?
If you're a little fuzzy still on what I mean, maybe this will help explain it...
So back in high school, my friends and I started to freak out a little come Senior year. Trying to figure out what we were going to do with our lives - you know the questions:
Where would we go to school?
What would we study?
Would we find friends?
Would we find someone to marry?
Where would we go after college?
Where would we live?
Unfortunately, this is something my 16 year old Sophomore is already struggling with. The pressure to know what you want to do with the rest of your life is happening to kids at a younger and younger age...
But I made it through that phase, went to college, got a degree and started my life.
And I think for most people this is where we can go off the rails. We can become disillusioned. Because we assume the career path we've chosen is our flag.
It's our destiny - the thing we are meant to do - our gift to the world.
And for some it might be - and that's great. You hear stories about people getting a job in high school and working that job for the next 50 years. Day in and day out doing their job to the best of their ability. And they would tell you they loved it and wouldn't change a thing.
And those are beautiful stories! Successful stories of dedication, commitment and contentment. And who knows - maybe this was their flag!
But how often do you hear this story? Not very often - right?
So many people in the world view their jobs in a less than positive way:
It's a necessary evil
Something that has to be done
Always looking forward to the weekend...
So it's easy to see why so many people haven't found their flag!
It’s because they’re confused - disillusioned as to what it actually is…
If we tie our flag to a career we don't really love, or one we feel we're stuck in, our flag can almost become a negative thing - something we'd like to get rid of!
But what if we removed our flag from our career? What if we aimed a bit higher than the thing we studied in college. Or the job we took right out of high school?
For me - it took over 40 years to really figure this out. But at some point I was able to look back over my life and connect the dots. Everything I had been through, the places I had lived, the people I had met, the jobs I had, the changes in career. All led to this - me finding my flag.
So what is it? What's my flag?
Well, if I had to boil it down - I would call myself a writer. And what I write about - that's my flag.
There are hundreds of thousands of writers in the world - so my flag isn't that I'm a writer. My flag is the content - what I write about. That's my flag - the thing I'm giving back to the world.
And interestingly enough - it's not my career. It's not my full time job. I get up early and I write. And at some point I decided the fastest way to get the content out into the world was to start the Transcend Human Podcast. Sure - I'd love to write books and get them published:
But the entire time you're writing a book, you’re the only one getting to see the content!
For years it sits in your head, or on a computer screen
Nobody gets to see it but you
Until that glorious day when it gets published...
Or maybe I should say, “If it gets published...”
So that's a journey I'm still on - but the podcast is great - because it's an ongoing conversation that isn't staying in my head, or is trapped on a computer hard drive.
It goes out into the world every week!
So that's it - that's my flag. God has given me things to say - and I'm obediently sharing those things in the ways I know how - by writing them down and talking about them on the podcast.
And I believe it’s my flag even if:
It never translates into a published book
Even if it remains something I do in my spare time
Even if I have to keep getting up early to do it
For the rest of my life - this will be my flag
// 3. PROTECT & FLY YOUR FLAG
There isn't a lot left to say. Except that once you have found your flag, you need to do two things:
Protect it
Fly it
First, you need to protect your flag.
This episode has been about Resistance - the force pushing back against you and your flag.
It doesn't want you to find your flag, and it most certainly doesn't want you to start flying it!
Resistance is everything that stands between you and the world getting to see your flag.
It's the physical barriers, the unforeseen life events, the doubt, the fear, the internal self talk that says you're not good enough and will never succeed.
These are the things you will face the minute you find your flag. The minute you start getting geeked about this new thing you've found. And you begin the process of raising that flag.
That's when Resistance hits. That's when the bottom drops out.
And that's when you have to protect your flag.
By seeing Resistance for what it is - a futile attempt at keeping you from reaching your full potential. Smoke and Mirrors to keep you from sharing your gift with the world.
And once you see it for what it is - you're on the road to overcoming it - putting it in its place and fighting through those barriers.
And finally, fly your flag.
It won't be easy. Take it from me. Getting up early isn't my thing. And it's not like a publisher is breaking down my door offering me $100,000 advances to write the stuff I'm wanting to write.
There is no early success story pushing me to keep going.
It's just me choosing to take my next step every day, in the direction I know I should be going.
It's overcoming small pieces of Resistance every day to keep going and slowly raise my flag.
And it's being comfortable with the fact that I may never be rewarded for flying my flag. At least not in the way we traditionally think of being rewarded - with money, popularity - or becoming a household name.
No - it's being comfortable with the fact that my reward may be small in those terms. But that the bigger reward is fighting off Resistance. It's the fact that I listened to my heart and did what I was asked to do.
The universe, the Muse, yes God himself handed me that flag - and it is up to me what I do with it.
In the Bible it is described as a candle. We each have a candle - and we’re asked to let it shine for all to see.
We have the option of placing our candle inside a container - to block the light - but we’re asked not to do that - and to let it shine the way a city on a hill can be seen for miles.
Let’s Land the Plane:
So what is your flag?
What is that gift you have to offer the world? Are you a writer? Podcaster? YouTuber, Singer? Artist? Ceramicist? Sculptor?
And it doesn't have to be arts related...
Are you a healer, counselor, environmentalist, attorney?
Whatever it is - if it's your flag - fly it high! And allow that flag to make the world a better place.
This week, ask yourself the following questions:
What is my flag?
If you don't know - what would it take to find it?
If you know what your flag is - what is your next step?
How is Resistance impacting you?
What is standing in your way?
How can you overcome those things in order to fly your flag?
Whew…I'm exhausted...
But that was so much fun. I love talking about this stuff - because I'm a firm believer that we're all uniquely gifted. We all have a flag to fly.
God doesn't make junk - He gave each of us a personality, talents, ideas, and yes - a flag to fly.
Over the past few years I have started to see things I wasn't able to see before. Things that happen - and serve to reinforce the path I'm on.
I believe the correct word is "serendipitous." Serendipitous events - events that are unplanned, and yet are fortunate, or favorable discoveries.
And this happened again this week as I was writing this episode.
I listened to an episode of the podcast, Bob Goff & Friends - where Bob interviewed Tim Tebow.
It was a great episode just because it was Tim Tebow - I mean you can't help but be inspired by the energy he has and the life he lives.
But that wasn't the serendipitous piece. Toward the end they started talking about a kids book Tim wrote called, Bronco and Friends: A Party to Remember.
Tim explained the premise, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. It literally mirrored what we just talked about - the fact that each of us is special and has a flag to find. Or in the case of Bronco - a puzzle piece to find.
So good! And serendipitous in that it reinforced the fact that I've found my flag. I'm on the right track. It was as if God whispered, "See, that stuff you're working on this week - it's the right stuff - you're headed in the right direction. Just keep moving forward - I'm with you."
If you love a good kids book - I would encourage you to check out Bronco and Friends for your child, or grandkids.
My prayer for you this week is twofold:
I want you to feel that to be true - that you are special, unique and that you have something to offer the world
I pray once you identify your flag - that you will be able to fight against Resistance and fly your flag high
I'd love to hear your story, what your flag is, and how you overcame Resistance.
If you feel like sharing - email me your story to info@transcendhuman.com
If I get a few good ones I may even share them (anonymously) in a future episode.
Thanks again for being with us today.
Until next time friends, have a great week, fly your flag, and keep Transcending Human!