Posts Tagged with Entrepreneurship

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The Art of War and the War of Art

The universe has been guiding me to books I should read so I’ve been paying attention and picking them up. 

Last year, a friend recommended that I read the The War of Art in light of my creative interests and pursuits and my challenges with prioritizing them.

Months went by and the only action I took was putting the book in my Amazon cart as a reminder. Then one night this year, I was placing an order for headphones and decided to look up The War of Art again.  It was on sale so that was a win! As I read the book’s description, this line caught my eye:

A succinct, engaging, and practical guide for succeeding in any creative sphere, The War of Art is nothing less than Sun-Tzu for the soul.

I felt like I needed to dig into Sun-Tzu’s The Art of War first to appreciate this comparison. It was another book that came to my attention frequently.  And I had purchased a copy of it a while back so it was time to finally read it. It was a quick and timeless read.  The book has been attributed to a military general from the late 6th century BC known as “Master Sun” (Sunzi or Sun Tzu). It remains one of the most influential strategy text in East Asian warfare and has influenced Western thinking with lessons applicable to war, business, law and life. 

Once I finished, I jumped into The War of Art.  The timing of the book felt right with everything going on in my life. The book’s description reads as follows:

A succinct, engaging, and practical guide for succeeding in any creative sphere, The War of Art is nothing less than Sun-Tzu for the soul.

What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do?

Why is there a naysayer within? How can we avoid the roadblocks of any creative endeavor-be it starting up a dream business venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece?

Bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.

The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the highest level of creative discipline.

Think of it as tough love . . . for yourself.

Whether an artist, writer or business person, this simple, personal, and no-nonsense book will inspire you to seize the potential of your life.

The book didn’t disappoint.  As a creative, I’ve felt the resistance described in the book. However, I hadn’t defined it or given it much thought on my own. I didn’t realize I needed the author’s help in defining that resistance, understanding it and finding a way to move past it. One key message was the need to do one’s work. Nothing substitutes for doing the work. The takeaway for me clear; for everything I want achieve, I have to prioritize doing the work. We all have to do the work if want to realize a goal.

Another description of The War of Art notes:

Dubbing itself a cross between Sun-Tzu’s Art of War and Julie Cameron’s The Artist’s Way…

Interestingly, The Artist’s Way was recommended to me.  It was also mentioned in the book One Person / Multiple Careers by Marci Alboher which I read previously. So I got the hint! The universe was at work, yet again. I plan to read this one sometime soon!

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How about you? Have you had any books pop up repeatedly to the point that you felt compelled to read them? Have any books resonated with you about pursuing creative endeavors? If so, how did they inspire you?  I’d love to hear your perspective below!

 

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Inspiration For Scanners, From Barbara Sher

A few months ago, I started researching resources about pursuing multiple interests, contrary to society’s expectation of choosing one thing.   I read numerous articles, research papers, watched videos and identified relevant books.  During this process, I discovered Barbara Sher and her work on the topic. I read about her books, visited her website and became inspired by her work; I instantly added her books to my Amazon shopping cart!

I highly recommend Barbara’s work! One book in particular, Refuse to Choose, resonated with me. Here is the description of it from Barbara’s website:

In the book Refuse To Chose: A Revolutionary Program For Doing Everything That You Love, Barbara identifies someone she calls The Scanner–someone who frequently has a multiplicity of interests, but finds it hard to create a successful life he or she loves because their passions and abilities are taking them in so many different directions. Contrary to popular wisdom, Sher tells Scanners that theirs is a unique ability, not a liability. She also states that they must do everything they love, not zero in on one pursuit at the expense of all others. With dozens of powerful techniques Sher has developed to free people from “goal paralysis,” readers will stop thinking of themselves as dabblers or dilettantes, and find innovative ways to live lives of variety, challenge, and joy.

I couldn’t get enough of Refuse to Choose once I started reading it! How did Barbara know my life so well?! It seemed like every other line explained a thought, challenge, or scenario I had experienced before. I read with a pencil in hand to note all the lines that resonated with me (I couldn’t use a highlighter or pen because I have this thing about keeping my books unmarked and an erasable pencil brought me a lot less stress).


I took the book everywhere, including on my trip to Cuba! I’ve since gifted and recommended it to friends who have multiple interests and aspire to do more in life. One of my friends said it was one of the best books he has read (and he reads a lot)! He became a believer too. We signed up for Barbara’s newsletter, and soon after, were notified that she had an upcoming book club for Refuse to Choose. We were super excited and signed up for that too! We were so moved that we emailed Barbara to share how meaningful her book has been.

Participating in the book club for the past few months has been a great experience. Refuse to Choose is dotted with exercises which I didn’t finish while reading the book. So I looked forward to doing them as part of the weekly book club assignments.  Overall, this committed time allowed me to reflect on my interests, skills, and truths. I wanted to realign myself and validate what I’ve presented as my truths – what I enjoy and what I aspire to do.

A few weeks ago, I received Barbara’s newsletter and noticed she had an upcoming telesummit, Dare to Soar.  I looked through the agenda which had some interesting topics and speakers.  I was particularly excited to see Barbara’s time slot!  What a pleasure it would be to hear from her real-time! I blocked off time on my calendar so I’d be available to participate.

I logged into the telesummit at the beginning and followed along throughout the day. Participants had an opportunity to chime in and ask the speakers questions, share stories and provide feedback on the activities.  Of course, I loved Barbara’s session and hearing her provide real-time advice to participants on their situations.  Everyone was excited to hear her voice and greet her.

A major highlight of the day was when I personally thanked Barbara for her body of work and let her know that she has been an inspiration. I told her about my journey with the Refuse to Choose book club and applying the lessons from her book. Her response was very warm – she thanked me and asked where my work can be found. I mentioned this site along with my Twitter account since I was tweeting about the Telesummit and using its hashtag. There were multiple contests during the day so I was thrilled to learn that I won a DVD of the WMHT Public Television show Refuse to Choose! with Barbara Sher and the hardcover edition of Barbara Sher’s book, I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was!  I received these a few days ago and can’t wait to dive in!

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Have you heard of Barbara Sher or read any of her book? How did her work inspire you? What were the key things that you learned? How did it change your outlook or life?  Share your thoughts and perspective below.  I’d love to hear from you!

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Inspiration for Multipotentialites, From Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh is one of my favorite artists. Aside from admiring his amazing artwork, I enjoy learning more about him through his surviving letters. There are over 900 letters that provide insight into his mind and universe, especially those to his brother Theo. I first got insight into Van Gogh’s life when my high school art teacher gifted me the book Lust for Life by Irving Stone. This book brought me to tears, with its descriptive narration of Van Gogh’s passionate and dramatic life.

Van Gogh continues to inspire me – from his yearning to do more in life and have an impact, to his love of nature and allowing it to inspire his art and his commitment to his work.  As multipotentialites (polymaths, scanners, renaissance souls) often struggle to find their place and purpose in a society that promotes “normalcy,” I find Van Gogh’s experience and point of view relevant and inspirational.

Here are some of my favorite Van Gogh quotes to inspire multipotentialites:

On life and your purpose

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?

Think of all the great accomplishments we enjoy today. Can you imagine life without these? What if no one had the courage to invent the light bulb, the internet, airplanes or cell phones? Do you want to be courageous and attempt something in your lifetime?

How can I be useful, of what service can I be? There is something inside me, what can it be?

Have you found your purpose? Are you still seeking it? If you haven’t found it yet, don’t give up.

The way to know life is to love many things.

Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.

There is so much to experience and enjoy in life. As a multipotentialite, you experience and learn a lot by exploring your multiple interests. As you explore, you learn what resonates with you and about yourself. This is a true path of discovering your passion and igniting your motivation to pursue it relentlessly. When your heart is in your work, the outcome reflects your passion.

On challenging the status quo

I wish they would only take me as I am.

You know when you’re meant to do something other than what everyone else is doing. And being true to this and who you are is hard. You want people to get it and understand you, but the reality is, many of them won’t. You have to find peace with this and own who you are.  Don’t limit who you are and what you do to appease others.

Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.

It is easier to do what everyone else is doing – the path is already paved, there are many examples of what you should do, and you don’t have the onus of figuring things out on your own.  But when you want to be and do more, you realize growth doesn’t come from your comfort zone. Venture off the beaten track and explore.

One must work and dare if one really wants to live.

If you really want to live on your own terms and reach your full potential, you have to put in the work.

On your power

If one is master of one thing and understands one thing well, one has at the same time, insight into and understanding of many things.

Multipotentialites have interests in many things and purse them for a period or a lifetime. All things are connected, and due to their expansive knowledge and experience, multipotentialites are equipped to see patterns and connections.  This ability is valuable and powerful, especially for leveraging one field to improve others through innovation.

There is no blue without yellow and without orange.

We wouldn’t have what we know know if someone didn’t imagine possibilities and have the courage to act on them.  To get blue, you take two colors you know and bring them together to create something new and useful.

On taking action

I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.

By staying in motion and doing, you learn and grow.  Multipotentialites pick up new interests all the time and roll up their sleeves to learn about them. They’re not afraid to try new things and make learning an action sport.

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.

Sometimes you feel like you’re never going to reach your goal. But remember that in order to accomplish that big milestone, you have to take many small steps along the way. Take them and celebrate each one to stay motivated.

On perseverance

I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart.

I am still far from being what I want to be, but with God’s help I shall succeed.

Once you know what you’re working toward, your “why” will motivate you. Stay the course and trust the process. Keep putting your work into the world.  The universe will echo the vibrations you emit.

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How do you stay inspired as a multipotentialite? Do Vincent van Gogh’s quotes above resonate with you? Share your thoughts below! I’d love to hear your perspective!

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Your Ideal vs. Your Reality: Balancing the Two

As humans, we seek a higher purpose, meaning and guidance. What is the meaning of life? Who or what can show us the way? We like to know what the end game looks like and our role and purpose in the big picture.

Although there is no book with official steps on living life, society has established ideals which emphasize how things should be. As these translate into norms and are reinforced around us, they influence our vision for our path. Ultimately, we align our lives to meet society’s expectations. Looking around, and in my own life, examples of this are easy to find.

The Ideal.  Ideals are what we aspire to achieve in life and they drive us.  “If only I had _____, I would be (happier, more successful etc.).” There is always something out of reach that we seek and conclude will provide some type of satisfaction.  How do we come to this conclusion? We adopt what we hear and see around us, including what society deems “acceptable” or “right.”  For example, society’s path to a “good life” is a good education, a good job, a family and house with a white picket fence.  We hear this from family, teachers, guidance counselors, college professors, employers etc. If this idea is so pervasive, how can it not be true?  Once we subscribe to it ourselves, we adapt our own path based on decisions and actions that are confined to outside judgment, meeting other people’s expectations, seeking approval and keeping up appearances.

The Plan. In order to meet our ideals, we outline a plan to make it happen. We believe that if we take these steps, exactly as planned, we’ll get what we want. Again, society says this is the path everyone should take so why wouldn’t it work for you? This process gives our lives the meaning we incessantly crave. Each day, we wake up knowing our why. By taking each outlined step, we believe we’re working to achieve our ideals and our ultimate purpose. We’re convinced that we’ll get what we want and there’s rarely a thought that things won’t go as planned.

The Reality.  Meanwhile, life is happening and it has its own idea of how things will unfold.  This can manifest in a variety of ways: plans going awry, discovering considerations that weren’t included in the plan, unexpected issues showing up, factors that can’t be controlled for taking their own course, etc. These impediments throw off our plan and can postpone or permanently keep us from reaching our ideals.

 

 

Where does this leave us?  It creates a gap between the reality and the ideal. Society rarely prepares us for such disruptions. We’re left with a plan that is no longer effective since it doesn’t account for any of the curve balls. We no longer have the meaning our plan gave us, and we’re lost without clarity on how to navigate toward our ideals.

Since we didn’t account for things not going as planned, panic sets in. There is no way this can’t work! I can’t let it fail! Let me roll up my sleeves and fix it real-time. I’m going to focus on how I can get it back on track.  I can’t imagine it not working out as envisioned and planned. Any alternate solution is “bad.”

What manifests is intense focus to repair, fix, prevent, and control to get things “right” and reduce the probability of failure (think Six Sigma on steroids). Our reaction is in response to not reaching our personal plan, but more often than not, we act out of fear of failing in front of the world. Failure means we won’t achieve the ideals society says we should have; and we fear outside judgment, not meeting other people’s expectations, not obtaining approval and not being able to keep up appearances.

I’ve been down this path many times and after reflecting on a recent instance, I have some new insight on making it more manageable and less exasperating.

There is no tragedy, only the unavoidable. Everything has its reason for being: you only need to distinguish what is temporary from what is lasting. What is temporary?… The unavoidable… and what is lasting?… The lessons of the unavoidable.  — Paulo Coelho

Here’s how you can handle the gap between your ideals and your reality better:
  • Revisit your premise. Your premise for this entire undertaking is that you think this is what you should be doing, is right and will not lead to failure. And this is all attributed to the meaning assigned by society or you. Whose meaning is the truth or final? Arguably, neither is right, how things should be or will guarantee certain outcomes.  But you define the meaning and believe it to be true; the only reason it has power is because you give it power.  If this approach and belief system doesn’t serve you, you should stop subscribing to it.
  • Don’t label things good or bad. Whether something is good or bad is subjective and depends on who you ask. Would it be bad if half of all the money in the world disappeared?  Those with extravagant lifestyles would probably care, but those who already live modestly probably wouldn’t care as much. Let things be, without being good or bad.
  • Don’t add stress or pressure.  Even if the situation seems malleable, that doesn’t mean you need to add stress and pressure.  A rubber band is flexible, but if you continuously pull it or pull it too far, it will snap. Sometimes it is better to do nothing. Leave it alone. Don’t question or try to associate meaning. Give things space to breathe.
  • Accept the reality and what happened. What happened happened and it is in the past. Don’t obsess about it, be stuck in it or be held hostage by it.
  • Appreciate situations for what they are. Focus on the lessons the past gave you and be grateful for what you have today. You’re better positioned now due to your lessons and experience.
  • Embrace the power of now. Take advantage of the present and take action to create positive opportunities. Create your own life the way you want it to be today. Your life today is important and I’d argue more important than any ideal life you aspire to have.

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Do you come across gaps between your ideals and your reality? How do you balance the two? Have you tried any of the suggestions above? How have they worked for you? I’d love to hear your perspective!

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