All of us, at one time or another, face some sort of age discrimination. Either we’re deemed too young for a particular activity or role, or we’re considered too old.

Then there’s the additional aspect of being judged by how many years you’ve put in to something, or – even more absurdly – how many years you’ve been ALIVE.

In the past, I certainly received my fair share of unintentionally denigrating comments to do with my age. You know, comments that basically implied:

“You’re young. What would you know? I’m older, therefore I know more about [INSERT ANYTHING HERE].”

This is an absurd statement, and reflects a typical quality (of experiences) vs quantity (years being alive) debate.

When you really think about it, what actual difference does age make?

If one person has spent ten years doing nothing, while the other has spent two years doing MANY things, then what sense does it make for the first person to claim that they have MORE experience than the second person, just because they’ve been “around longer”?

There is simply no rational argument to support a nonsensical statement like that.

Here’s the REAL truth:

Years don’t equal experience. EXPERIENCE equals experience.

A personal example

I was a tennis coach for about nine years. I taught people of all ages, from 5 years old right up to people in their late 50′s. The experience taught me a lot.

One example that perfectly illustrates my point involved a pupil of mine who I had been coaching for most of his life. He was 17 years old now, and was finally considering actually getting a part-time job for the first time.

But he was always giving himself excuses that stopped him from even APPLYING for a part-time job in the first place.

After some quizzing, he revealed that his major concern was that it was “too difficult to approach a stranger” to apply for a job.

Okay, so his major barrier seemed to be shyness, nerves, and the fear of looking “stupid”. That’s something I can definitely understand. Most people can.

But then he said something that revealed a much bigger issue.

“It will be easier when I am older.”

Right there was the major lack of logic in his reasoning, and it’s essentially the same sort of reasoning used in the whole “I’m older therefore I know better” argument.

In my pupil’s circumstances, he needed to understand that nothing is easier just because you are older. Age by itself gives one NO experience. “Experience”, like the name suggests, is created through EXPERIENCES.

So what should you do then?

The next time you feel like you’re too inexperienced for something because of your age, or because people tell you “you haven’t lived long enough”, just remind yourself:

Years don’t equal experience. EXPERIENCE equals experience.

However, experiences don’t happen without action. The only way to gain experience is to take ACTION RIGHT NOW.

It constantly amazes me how many people are still resisting the concept of social media. For some it’s because of privacy reasons (that was the major thing for me, at least). But for others, it’s something far less rational.

I often hear people dismiss social media either as “shallow”, or a “waste of time” (even though these same people watch hours of television every night…).

When quizzed about what they mean by “shallow”, their response is usually something like:

“I don’t want to hear what someone had for breakfast.”

How original.

If you truly believe that is what social media is all about, then you are totally missing the point.

Social media, at its core, has nothing to do with computers and technology. It has nothing to do with age either. All it is is another form of HUMAN INTERACTION.

What makes it more unique, however, is the fact that it’s global, and it travels at the speed of light (well, maybe not technically – but you get my point!).

This presents incredible opportunities to meet and network with like-minded people from around the globe (rather than in your own geographically limited environment).

These are people that you would have never otherwise met in real life. This can be useful not only in your personal life, but also in your professional life.

But to call social media “shallow” because some users choose to update everyone on their food and beverage choices is, in itself, “shallow”.

The fact is, if you follow vacuous individuals on social media (which begs the question WHY?), then yes – you will hear vacuous status updates like “I just threw up. LOL”.

But how is that different from real life? Sometimes you will meet the same sort of individuals there too. If you don’t like what they have to say, you just ignore them (or don’t talk to them to begin with!).

Social media is really a reflection of YOU.

If you follow vacuous individuals, then don’t complain about the low quality interactions you have as a result.

But there are MANY other users of social media who are just as intelligent and insightful as people you might meet in real life.

The difference is social media gives you the opportunity to meet far more of them than you ever would during a more “traditional” lifetime. Wouldn’t you agree?

So …do you know people who are still resisting social media? If so, send them a link to this article!

One of the biggest factors in personal success is one’s own positive attitude and determination. You hold a lot of power to change your destiny.

But sometimes that’s not enough.

And sometimes, the problem isn’t YOU – it’s those AROUND you.

Have you ever been surrounded by negative people?

You know the ones – they always seem to be sad/whiney/angry about the world? They might be a bit like George Costanza in Seinfeld (but less funny)?

Successful people often emphasise the importance of surrounding yourself with positive, enthusiastic, and successful individuals.

Why?

Because that sort of environment generates energy, creativity, and the belief that anything is possible (and it is). Basically, the type of people you hang out with will, most likely, reflect the type of person you are or will become.

So if you’re spending most of your time surrounded by angry, negative people, or (even more common) a group of people that hate their jobs and only care about money, it’s time to extract yourself NOW.

Otherwise, their attitudes and beliefs will limit yours. They will hold you back. And YOU will eventually become THEM.

But if you still manage to succeed while being surrounded by these sorts of individuals (which would be a phenomenal effort on your part, by the way), chances are that they won’t see the work you put in. They will only think that you struck it lucky. They will try and bring you down.

In Australia, this most closely resembles the “tall poppy syndrome” – cutting people down when they become too big. It’s pretty ridiculous when you think about it. It’s small-mindedness and jealousy. Nothing more.

The ultimate irony is that the types of people that react this way seem to have more respect for “success” that is achieved purely by chance (eg. game show winners, lottery winners, gamblers, etc). Somehow, you will be given more respect by these people if you pick the right suitcase in “Deal or No Deal”, rather than by working your ass off towards your dreams.

So if you’re not getting where you want to be in life, take a careful look at the types of people you are associating yourself with. Sometimes that might just be certain friends and acquaintances. Other times, it might be lovers or family. Those can be tricky areas to deal with.

But the ultimate solution is the same regardless.

You need to:

• minimise contact with such individuals both for THEIR benefit and YOUR OWN, and
• increase contact with positive people who have energy and enthusiasm for life.

Once you do that, you’ll find that the positive energy will start rubbing off on you (in a G-rated way, of course…).

It’s often tempting to get as much feedback as possible when you’re developing a project, a service, or some sort of other creative content (such as an article, a book, a photograph, etc).

But remember – not everyone’s feedback has equal value, nor is every piece of feedback actually useful.

Many people will suggest that any type of feedback is useful as long as it’s “constructive”. I don’t disagree with that, but I do think a statement like this is way too broad.

Consider this – if the person offering feedback (whether it’s constructive or not) isn’t actually a member of your intended audience, or has little knowledge or interest in what you’re trying to do, their feedback is virtually USELESS to you.

Let me illustrate this point.

Most of us probably know at least one person who seems obsessed with giving feedback on EVERYTHING, even when you haven’t asked for it, and even if they’re not actually part of the intended audience.

This is the type of individual who thinks that their opinions and views must always be taken into account. They seem to believe that they are an authority on everything.

This type of individual, when presented with something, seems to think it is his/her place to offer “honest feedback” on it. So instead of actually CONNECTING and CONSUMING the content presented to them, this kind of individual will instead focus on irrelevant, subjective issues – and completely miss the point.

In reality, I suspect this kind of response is more about that individual’s personal issues. Either they feel some level of personal satisfaction from criticising other people’s work, or, as Steven Pressman argues in “The War of Art“, they are using it as a form of Resistance from doing their own work.

Either way, I’ll be blunt …

You don’t need this sort of person’s “advice” on anything.

And that illustrates the problem when you seek feedback from just anyone. The ultimate danger if you start listening to these sorts of people is that you will end up watering down and neutering your project so much, that it will fail to get ANY response at all.

So if you’re looking for useful feedback, get it from people who are part of your intended audience, or have knowledge and interest in what you’re doing. It’s as simple as that.

What do you think?

Recently it suddenly hit me. Holy crap. After quitting my last job as a university teacher late last year, I’m actually technically unemployed!

GASP!

Oddly enough, I hadn’t thought of myself as unemployed at all until that moment. I’ve been far too busy trying to get my own business ventures off the ground. Perhaps you don’t think that counts as being “unemployed”? *crosses fingers*

In any case, I started to think about this word. The moment I thought of myself as “unemployed”, I suddenly felt really dirty. Why are there such negative connotations with this word?

Recently, a friend also quit their job to try and launch their own business venture. One particular day, they were asked by someone whether they were still “unemployed”.

What a negative way of framing the situation! It made it sound like my friend was somehow broken!

And that’s my problem with this word.

The word “unemployed” tends to:

• imply that there is something wrong with you
• imply that you can’t live a happy and successful life unless you work directly for someone else (especially hilarious!)
• deny the fact that some people choose to be unemployed because they can create their own opportunities in life.

So if you, too, are technically “unemployed”, EMBRACE IT! You are free! Here is your one and only chance to make something of this opportunity.

So instead of being glued to your couch playing “Call of Duty 27″ all day, move your ass and start exploring the opportunities around you instead. Then there’s no shame in being “unemployed”, since you will have found your own ways of making an income and leading a fulfilling life.

But do yourself a favour: don’t think of yourself as “unemployed”. You’re not.

From time-to-time I will be reviewing a business or personal development book either here or on my business blog at wecancreate. Since I am very selective about the books I choose to read (and hence review), you can be assured that I will only review books that I have personally found useful.

This week, I’ve just finished reading “The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” by acclaimed novelist Steven Pressfield (not to be confused with “Art of War” by Sun Tsu … you know, the one that is compulsory reading for anyone in corporate management …).

First Impression

I enjoyed this book. It was a different sort of read, but its concepts made me reflect back on some of my own creative battles and realise that I knew EXACTLY what Steven was talking about (for the remainder of this review, I will refer to the author as Steven … so it sounds like I actually know him … which I don’t …).

Who This Book is For

This is pretty simple to answer.

If you are already highly successful, motivated, driven, and you’re always able to accomplish all the tasks and goals you set yourself, then this book is NOT for you! You’re already perfect and don’t need any more help. Leave this room. You’re making everyone sick!

But if you’re like the rest of us, and long to achieve certain goals but never seem to get moving, then this book is for you.

It doesn’t matter what your goal is. Regardless of whether you’re trying to write a novel or screenplay, finish your artistic works, start a charity, start dieting or exercising, or even if you hope to run a marathon someday, this book is for all of you. At least, that’s what the book promises.

What Will You Get Out of It

This book will help you identify the major bottlenecks preventing you from achieving your dreams. It will then help you defeat and unlock these barriers, while helping you become more aware of the nature of the “enemy” for future battles.

It’s primarily a motivational and philosophical book, but also contains some techniques to help you put everything together. But it is by no means a step-by-step how-to kind of book. It’s more about understanding the psychology of creation, and what you can do to get the hell out the way of it!

Who is the Author

“The War of Art” was written by acclaimed novelist Steven Pressfield. His previous works include, “The Legend of Bagger Vance” (which, as you probably know, was turned into a movie starring Will Smith and Matt Damon), “Gates of Fire”, “Tides of War”, “Last of the Amazons”, “The Virtues of War”, “The Afghan Campaign”, and “Killing Rommel”.

This is his first venture into non-fiction, since he wanted to share what he has learned about defeating one’s inner creative battles.

Quick Summary of “The War of Art”

By far the biggest highlight, and the concept at the centre of this entire book, is Steven’s label for the invisible force that seems to prevent us from achieving our goals. Using writing as an example, he sets the tone of the book with this introduction:

There’s a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, and the secret is this: It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write. What keeps us from sitting down is Resistance.

Seems like an obvious statement, but it is, nonetheless, a powerful one.

Using his “Resistance” concept, Steven splits up “The War of Art” into three sub-books. Book One deals with the concept of Resistance by defining what it is. Book Two deals with the techniques and mindset you can use to combat Resistance, now that you know what it is. Its main emphasis is on “turning pro” as a way of combating Resistance. Book Three has more of a spiritual element and tries to connect the previous books into one overriding whole.

Besides Resistance, Steven also talks about his interpretation of concepts such as Genius, Muses, Angels, and the nature of hierarchical and territorial motivations. He somehow manages to link these all into one coherent whole, which will hopefully make you think more deeply about the blocks that seem to prevent you from doing your creative work.

From reading various reader reviews, it seems like this is the sort of book that divides people. Many absolutely love the poetic (sometimes abstract) wisdom contained in “The War of Art“, and understand that its appeal lies in the way Steven has presented his philosophies. There are just so many great quotes in this book, quotes that reward repeat readings. The fact that it’s also a quick and easy read makes it all that much more appealing. It’s just inspiring, really.

On the other hand, many other readers react quite negatively towards some of the underlying themes in this book (or even the way it is written). I will talk about that shortly. But first, just to show you some of the memorable advice in this book, let’s have a look at some of my favourite quotes from it.

Specific Highlights

Usually, I wouldn’t directly quote from a book in a review like this (or at least not as much as I’m about to). Instead, I would just summarise it myself.

But with a book like this the enjoyment comes from not just its content, but – more importantly – the way it has been written. So enjoy the following quotes. Any of these could be printed up and placed at your desk as a great source of daily inspiration. My favourites are in bold.

From Book One: Resistance – Defining the Enemy

• Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands resistance.
• Are you a writer that doesn’t write, a painter who doesn’t paint, an entrepreneur who never starts a venture? Then you know what Resistance is.
• Any act that rejects immediate gratification in favor of long-term growth, health or integrity … will elicit Resistance.
• Resistance is like the Alien or the Terminator or the shark in Jaws. It cannot be reasoned with. It understands nothing but power. It is an engine of destruction, programmed from the factory with one object only: to prevent us from doing our work.
• Rule of thumb: The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.
• Resistance has no strength of its own. Every ounce of juice it possesses comes from us. We feed it with power by our fear of it. Master that fear, and we conquer Resistance.
• Procrastination is the most common manifestation of Resistance because it’s the easiest to rationalize. We don’t tell ourselves, ‘I’m never going to write my symphony.’ Instead we say, ‘I am going to write my symphony; I’m just going to start tomorrow.’
• The danger is greatest when the finish line is in sight. At this point, Resistance knows we’re about to beat it. It hits the panic button. It marshals one last assault and slams us with everything it’s got.
• Never forget: This very moment, we can change our lives. There never was a moment, and never will be, when we are without the power to alter our destiny. This second, we can turn the tables on Resistance. This second, we can sit down and do our work.
• Creating soap opera in our lives is a symptom of Resistance. Why put in years of work designing a new software interface when you can get just as much attention by bringing home a boyfriend with a prison record?
• Depression and anxiety may be real. But they can also be Resistance.
• Casting yourself as a victim is the antithesis of doing your work. Don’t do it. If you’re doing it, stop.
• Unalleviated, Resistance mounts to a pitch that becomes unendurable. At this point vices kick in. Dope, adultery, web surfing. Beyond that, Resistance becomes clinical. Depression, aggression, dysfunction. Then actual crime and physical destruction. Sounds like life, I know. It isn’t. It’s Resistance.
• If you find yourself criticizing other people, you’re probably doing it out of Resistance. When we see others beginning to live their authentic selves, it drives us crazy if we have not lived out our own. Individuals who are realized in their own lives almost never criticize others. If they speak at all, it is to offer encouragement.
• The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.
• Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance. Therefore the more fear we feel about a specific entreprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and to the growth of our soul. That’s why we feel so much Resistance. If it meant nothing to us, there’d be no Resistance.
• The more Resistance you experience, the more important your unmanifested art/project/enterprise is to you – and the more gratification you will feel when you finally do it.”
• Rationalization is Resistance’s spin doctor. It’s Resistance’s way of hiding the Big Stick behind its back. Instead of showing us our fear (which might shame us and impel us to do our work), Resistance presents us with a series of plausible, rational justifications for why we shouldn’t do our work.
• Defeating Resistance is like giving birth. It seems absolutely impossible until you remember that women have been pulling it off successfully, with support and without, for fifty million years.

From Book Two: Combating Resistance – Turning Pro

• The conventional interpretation is that the amateur pursues his calling out of love, while the pro does it for money. Not the way I see it. In my view, the amateur does not love the game enough. If he did, he would not pursue it as a sideline, distinct from his “real” vocation. The professional loves it so much he dedicates his life to it. He commits full-time. That’s what I mean when I say turning pro. Resistance hates it when we turn pro.
• 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 … [but] he knows that once he gets out into the action, his fear will recede and he’ll be okay.
• The professional knows that Resistance is like a telemarketer; if you so much as say hello, you’re finished. The pro doesn’t even pick up the phone. He stays at work.
• The professional conducts his business in the real world. Adversity, injustice, bad hops and rotten calls, even good breaks and lucky bounces all comprise the ground over which the campaign must be waged. The field is level, the professional understands, only in heaven.
• The professional dedicates himself to mastering technique not because he believes technique is a substitute for inspiration but because he wants to be in possession of the full arsenal of skills when inspiration does come. The professional is sly. He knows that by toiling beside the front door of technique, he leaves room for genius to enter by the back.
• When people say an artist has a thick skin, what they mean is not that the person is dense or numb, but that he has seated his professional consciousness in a place other than his personal ego.
• An amateur lets the negative opinion of others unman him. He takes external criticism to heart, allowing it to trump his own belief in himself and his work. Resistance loves this.
• The professional cannot allow the actions of others to define his reality. Tomorrow morning the critic will be gone, but the writer will still be there facing the blank page. Nothing matters but that he keep working. Short of a family crisis or the outbreak of World War III, the professional shows up, ready to serve the gods.
• Remember, Resistance wants us to cede sovereignty to others. It wants us to stake our self-worth, our identity, our reason-for-being, on the response of other to our work. Resistance knows we cant take this. No one can.
• The professional blows critics off. He doesn’t even hear them. Critics, he reminds himself, are the unwitting mouthpieces of Resistance …
• The professional learns to recognize envy-driven criticism and to take it for what is is: the supreme compliment. The critic hates most that which he would have done himself if he had had the guts.
• Making yourself a corporation (or just thinking of yourself in that way) reinforces the idea of professionalism because it separates the artist-doing-the-work from the will-and-consciousness-running-the-show. No matter how much abuse is heaped on the head of the former, the latter takes it in stride and keeps on trucking.
• If we think of ourselves as a corporation, it gives us a healthy distance on ourselves. We’re less subjective. We don’t take blows as personally. We’re more cold-blooded; we can price our wares more realistically.

From Book Three: Beyond Resistance – Higher Realm

• As Resistance works to keep us from becoming who we were born to be, equal and opposite powers are counter-poised against it. There are our allies and angels.
• … the most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.
• … when we sit down day after day and keep grinding, something mysterious starts to happen. A process is set into motion by which, inevitably and infallibly, heaven comes to our aid. Unseen forces enlist in our cause; serendipity reinforces our purpose.
• I think angels make their home in the Self, while Resistance has its seat in the Ego. The fight is between the two. The Self wishes to create, to evolve. The Ego likes things just the way they are.
• The Ego produces Resistance and attacks the awakening artist.
• We come into this world with a specific, personal destiny. We have a job to do, a calling to enact, a self to become. We are who we are from the cradle, and we’re stuck with it. 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.
• In the animal kingdom, individuals define themselves in one of two ways – by their rank within a hierarchy (a hen in a pecking order, a wolf in a pack) or by their connection to a territory (a home base, a hunting ground, a turf). This is how individuals – humans as well as animals – achieve psychological security.
• Of the two orientations, the hierarchical seems to be the default setting. … We define ourselves, instinctively it seems, by our position within the schoolyard, the gang, the club. It’s only later in life, usually after a term of education in the university of hard knocks, that we begin to explore the territorial alternative. For some of us, this saves our lives.
• For the artist to define himself hierarchically is fatal. … The artist must operate territorially. He must do his work for its own sake.
• In the hierarchy, the artist faces outward. Meeting someone new he asks himself, What can this person do for me? How can this person advance my standing? In the hierarchy, the artist looks up and looks down. The one place he can’t look is that place he must: within.
• A hack … is a writer who second-guesses his audience. When the hack sits down to work, he doesn’t ask himself what’s in his own heart. He asks what the market is looking for.
• … the hack writes hierarchically. He writes what he imagines will play well in the eyes of others. He does not ask himself, What do I myself want to write? What do I think is important? Instead he asks, What’s hot, what can I make a deal for?
• The artist can’t do his work hierarchically. He has to work territorially.
• The act of creation is by definition territorial. As the mother-to-be bears her child within her, so the artist or the innovator contains her new life. No one can help her give it birth. But neither does she need any help.
• Of any activity you do, ask yourself: If I were the last person on earth, would I still do it? If you’re all alone on the planet, a hierarchical orientation makes no sense. There’s no one to impress. So, if you’d still pursue that activity, congratulations. You’re doing it territorially.
• If you were meant to cure cancer or write a symphony or crack cold fusion and you don’t do it, you not only hurt yourself, even destroy yourself. You hurt your children. You hurt me. You hurt the planet.
• Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.

There are many more quotes I could include, but the above should give you an idea about whether this is the sort of book you’d enjoy. If you would, I think you’ll also find some of the following chapters interesting too:

• “We’re All Pros Already” chapter, which compares the qualities that define us as professionals in our day-to-day lives with those qualities of the amateur who does their true calling “on the side”.
• “Life and Death” chapter, which talks about the Ego and the Self, and talks about our psyche (the Jungian-derived model) and what happens when we are faced with our imminent extinction. What becomes important suddenly? Is it possible to heal ourselves by doing that which we know is important to us?
• “The Artist and the Hierarchy” chapter, which explains what happens when an artist defines themselves hierarchically.
• “The Territorial Orientation” chapter, which discusses the qualities of a territory, and how we can find our own.

What Could Have Been Improved

From reading some of the negative reviews out there, here are some of the major points people complain about:

• The book is too short
• It gets a bit “weird” towards the end
• The book implies that the cause of cancer is Resistance

Let me deal with each one of the above objections, as I think some of them are a little too hysterical at times.

Firstly, yes, the book is short. Almost all the chapters are between 1-5 pages each. If you ask me, that makes for a pleasant and quick read. And who said that books need to be long to be enjoyable? If this is a reader’s only complaint about a book, then it’s not a particularly strong one.

Secondly, I get what some people mean when they think Steven gets a bit “weird” towards the end of the book. I think these readers are primarily referring to Book Three, which talks about the “higher realm”. Now, I’m not religious myself, so if anyone is going to be sensitive to matters like this, it would probably be me. However, I don’t feel the book “assaults” me with religious concepts in Book Three. Although Steven talks about concepts like “God” and “Angels”, he makes it quite clear that he’s not trying to force people to interpret these words the same way he does. He encourages the reader to interpret these concepts in the abstract, if that’s what they’re more comfortable with. And that’s what I have chosen to do when reading that part of the book.

Lastly, yes, there are controversial statements in this book. But I think a lot of negative reviews take these statements out of context, and try to make them broader than they were originally intended. Steven does, indeed, talk about cancer, drug abuse, and fundamentalism. And yes, he does suggest that in some cases he thinks these things are a possible symptom of Resistance. That is an interesting argument.

At one point, he illustrates some examples where people who have suddenly been diagnosed with cancer end up immediately dropping those things that are no longer important, and focusing instead on those pursuits they have always wanted to try. What then happens once they’ve conquered their Resistance, is that their cancer goes into remission and they become healed.

Perhaps that sounds like an absurd analysis of the situation, and I can certainly understand how people who have experienced cancer could feel quite offended by Steven’s statements.

If read the wrong way, then yes – it looks like he’s implying that a cancer sufferer only has themselves to blame since they have been ignoring what their body and soul wants them to do with their lives. But if read another way, I think Steven is simply giving some philosophical food for thought, by emphasising the importance of the holistic link between mind and body.

Regardless, the above is such a small part of the book, that to judge the entire book by it is pretty ridiculous.

Apart from those criticisms (valid or not), I have my own minor ones to add.

• The book lacks a contents list
• The book perhaps skews a little too much towards writing at times

Regarding the first point, it’s understandable considering just how many one-page chapters there are. If there was a contents page, it would probably be its own book! You’ll see what I mean when I list the contents shortly.

Having said that, I still think it would have been nice to have a contents page at the front of the book to easily be able to find those chapters you might want to revisit from time to time (and it’s the type of inspirational book where you’ll want to do that). As it stands, you can’t even find the page number of the individual sub-books! That should have definitely been fixed.

Regarding the second point, I guess it’s not surprising. Steven wrote this book based on his own experiences of fighting Resistance as a writer. It’s only natural that this book would focus more on a writer’s world.

But, in fairness, all you have to do is substitute “writer” for whatever word you want (eg. painter, entrepreneur, etc), and the concepts pretty much apply equally to everything. Still, I think anyone pursuing a calling in the “arts” will probably get the most out of this book.

Contents

• What I Do
• What I Know
• The Unlived Life

Book One: Resistance – Defining the Enemy

• Resistance’s Greatest Hits
• Resistance is Invisible
• Resistance is Internal
• Resistance is Insidious
• Resistance is Implacable
• Resistance is Impersonal
• Resistance is Infallible
• Resistance is Universal
• Resistance Never Sleeps
• Resistance Plays for Keeps
• Resistance is Fueled by Fear
• Resistance Only Opposes in One Direction
• Resistance is Most Powerful at the Finish Line
• Resistance Recruits Allies
• Resistance and Procrastination
• Resistance and Sex
• Resistance and Trouble
• Resistance and Self-Dramatization
• Resistance and Self-Medication
• Resistance and Victimhood
• Resistance and the Choice of a Mate
• Resistance and this Book
• Resistance and Unhappiness
• Resistance and Fundamentalism
• Resistance and Criticism
• Resistance and Self-Doubt
• Resistance and Fear
• Resistance and Love
• Resistance and Being a Star
• Resistance and Isolation
• Resistance and Healing
• Resistance and Support
• Resistance and Rationalization
• Resistance can be Beaten

Book Two: Combating Resistance – Turning Pro

• Professionals and Amateurs
• A Professional
• What a Writer’s Day Feels Like
• How to be Miserable
• We’re all Pros Aleady
• For Love of the Game
• A Professional is Patient
• A Professional Seeks Order
• A Professional Demystifies
• A Professional Acts in the Face of Fear
• A Professional Accepts No Excuses
• A Professional Plays It As It Lays
• A Professional is Prepared
• A Professional Does Not Show Off
• A Professional Dedicates Himself to Mastering Technique
• A Professional Does Not Hesitate to Ask for Help
• A Professional Distances Himself from her Instrument
• A Professional Does Not Take Failure (or Success) Personally
• A Professional Endures Adversity
• A Professional Self-Validates
• A Professional Recognises Her Limitations
• A Professional Reinvents Himself
• A Professional is Recognised by Other Professionals
• You, Inc
• A Critter that Keeps Coming
• No Mystery

Book Three: Beyond Resistance – Higher Realm

• Angels in the Abstract
• Approaching the Mystery
• Invoking the Muse
• Testament of a Visionary
• The Magic of Making a Start
• The Magic of Keeping Going
• Largo
• Life and Death
• The Ego and the Self
• Experiencing the Self
• Fear
• The Authentic Self
• Territory versus Hierarchy
• The Hierarchical Orientation
• The Artist and the Hierarchy
• The Definition of a Hack
• The Territorial Orientation
• The Artist and the Territory
• The Difference Between Territory and Hierarchy
• The Supreme Virtue
• The Fruits of our Labor
• Portrait of the Artist
• The Artist’s Life

Rating

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s “a vital gem…a kick in the ass”, as the quote from Esquire on the cover says.

After reading it, I have certainly retained some of the major concepts, and have found them helpful in my own day-to-day mental battles as a writer, and entrepreneur. Additionally, I have the comfort of knowing that whenever I’m stuck in a rut, opening up this book and reading a few chapters will put me back in the mind frame I need to conquer my Resistance. This is the kind of book that will never be “outdated”.

I think the following quote from the book’s foreword by Robert McKee will summarise the experience best:

As I closed THE WAR OF ART, I felt a surge of positive calm. I now know I can win this war. And if I can, so can you.

As for rating this book, I choose to rate two factors: usefulness, and longevity. An overall rating is often misleading. For me (and probably for you), I need books that are useful AND will be something I refer to constantly over the next few years. This book fulfills both those goals easily.

Usefulness 5/5

Longevity 5/5

Buy “The War of Art” Now!

* Just so you know, if you buy the book from this page, I get a tiny commission from the sale…about enough to buy a used pack of chewing gum (I can offer you a piece, if you’d like)! But seriously, every little bit helps to fund future book purchases that I can then review for you.

How often do you hear someone say this: “My life would be perfect if only I had … more money/that dream job/a partner/my own house/a segway …

But this thinking is flawed. It makes your current emotional state constantly dependent on some series of events that hasn’t happened yet (or might not happen at all).

It also makes it seem like everything will only be great once everything is perfect to begin with. Error – cannot compute!!

We both know that life isn’t like that.

Life is unscripted. Shit WILL happen, and sometimes it splatters EVERYWHERE (apologies for the graphic imagery!). If you let that determine whether or not you are positive about life, then you’re in for a tough time (and a big clean up … okay, I’ll stop now).

The truth is that anyone can be positive when everything is going well.

But how often does that happen?? Things go wrong all the time. It’s how you deal with THOSE situations that determines how you will cope with life.

So stop waiting for the perfect time to do something, and just go out and do it NOW! :)

The news (not the Huey Lewis one…) must be one of the biggest sources of negativity on the planet.

It’s simply frightening how much power it has, and – more importantly – just how much UNDESERVED credibility it gets just because it’s called “news”.

Remember – there are just as many incompetent workers in the news field as there are in any other profession.

That means that laziness, sloppiness, etc are just as likely to occur in the field of journalism.

Add to that the pressures of 24/7 web news, and dwindling advertising revenues, and you have the making of rushed, sloppy, un-researched pieces of “journalism” that tend to serve one of two purposes:

• either getting a rise out of the most uneducated (fooling them into thinking that they ARE getting educated about an issue), or
• are simply focused around making us believe that it’s important to know what some no-talent celebrity is doing at any time of the day.

None of this would necessarily be an issue if the articles were POSITIVE, but they obviously AREN’T.

I’ll admit – every now and then I still get sucked into reading something like news.com.au. And it makes me feel ill every time.

I will give the news credit for one thing though…

They REALLY know how to write killer headlines, and how to manipulate people’s emotions.

So if you want to learn how to do that, then by all means check out the news (but remember – “with great power comes great responsibility…”). Otherwise, don’t waste your time.

As an example, let’s look at a list of the top 10 stories on news.com.au not too long ago:

• ‘Packer sacked me for being annoying’
• Hot future paints an ugly face for mankind
• Toddler killed after wandering streets
• Nintendo gives schoolgirl a DS after letter
• MasterChef in danger of one-horse race
• UK man first to swim under Mt Everest
• Lohan ordered to wear booze bracelet
• Da Vinci robot hides key to mechanical lion
• High-score tables forever with this device
• Brittany Murphy’s husband found dead

There is almost NOTHING positive in any of these articles (even those that aren’t just media beat-ups).

Let’s see – the first article will no doubt get people talking about how annoying people SHOULD be fired.

The second article will tell us how our planet is doomed.

The third article will reinforce the fear that the streets aren’t safe for your kids (while at the same time encouraging people to blame the parents), etc. It will also, probably, encourage people to complain about how the world is becoming a more dangerous place.

Oh, and where would we be if we didn’t have some nice product promotion in the fourth article. Who do they think they’re kidding?

It’s pretty obvious what all these headlines try to do (ie. manipulate emotions), and yet people continue to buy into it.

What does anyone gain from reading such crap every day?? How has your world improved?

And why do a lot of people feel the need to go a step further, and even listen to HOURLY news “updates”?! H-O-U-R-L-Y!! Honestly, what do you think will change in the next 60 minutes??!

Consuming this kind of crap daily makes you stupid.

It affects your emotions, and it negatively alters your perception of the world. And if you don’t want to become just another 9-5 zombie, then it’s time to stop giving a shit about the news. Consuming it like a drug addict doesn’t actually make you educated or intelligent. It just makes you an addict.

The ultimate solution to any type of “information consumption” (including things like the news) is to only consume it if it brings you value (eg. it teaches you something, or it’s entertaining). Otherwise it’s a waste of your precious life. Do any of the top 10 articles above bring any value?

Oh, by the way, this just in:

Circus acrobat ‘went on HIV sex spree’

We’ll have more right after this short commercial break …

Seriously, turn this shit off and go and make your world a better place instead. Who is with me?! :)

How often have you told yourself this: “I’d LOVE to pursue my dream … BUT …

1) I’m not an expert
2) I’m too young/too old
3) People tell me to get a “real job”
4) It’s tough in the “current climate”
5) People don’t support my dream
6) What if I fail?
7) I don’t have time
8) I don’t like people
9) It’s “risky”
10) I’m waiting to be inspired
11) I’m planning on thinking about possibly doing it sometime … maybe
12) I probably can’t beat the competition
13) I don’t know what I’m doing!

How long have you been believing these excuses?

The truth is NOW IS THE TIME TO START. Not tomorrow. Not next week. And not when you feel “motivated” or “inspired”.

But I know it’s not that simple. I have lied to myself for a long time too. I have made a million excuses. But it took a few traumatic events before I finally realised the following:

You’re Luckier Than the Majority of the World

Chances are that millions of people out there would DIE to live the kind of life you do. If you’re reading this, it’s highly probable that you live in a place where starvation, war, and death aren’t daily realities. Chances are that some of your major “worries” in life revolve around mundane things like paying off your mortgage, buying a bigger TV, or – the big one – trying to figure out what you want to do with your life (which is quite a luxury when you think about it).

But have you considered just how many people in the world don’t EVER get to choose that? We should ALL consider ourselves lucky that we’re reading this because we HAVE OPTIONS that millions of others don’t. And we only have them through sheer LUCK. Do you realise the unbelievable odds that were against you being born in a stable society with choices and opportunity around you?

Don’t squander your good fortune on living a mundane existence. If you have choices and options (which you most certainly do!), then you owe it to yourself to make this life count. After all …

You Will Die One Day

I know it’s not pleasant to think about. But, no matter how much we pretend we won’t, we will ALL DIE ONE DAY (hopefully not all at the same time due to some catastrophic environmental disaster … but I digress!).

Just think about that for a minute. Imagine not existing. Imagine never waking up again. Imagine never seeing your friends, family, and close ones again. Imagine never seeing the beautiful world around you again. Imagine having completed your ONE and ONLY “turn” at life (you DON’T get a second chance, remember that). What would you miss? What would you regret? What would you wish you had at least TRIED before time was up? Which dreams will you have left unfulfilled?

WAKE UP NOW.

You’re still here. You’re still alive. And you’re still reading this post (which probably means you are in the top 5% of the world’s population who are actually literate). You can still HAVE IT ALL in life, but it’s time to get moving RIGHT NOW.

Remember – you ARE one of the luckiest people on the planet, and you are actually still ALIVE.

So what’s still holding you back?

Chances are, some of the following 13 excuses are currently helping your brain defeat your dreams …

[Quick note: "dream" could mean pursuing an artistic passion, it could mean starting a business, or it could mean whatever you want it to mean]

1) I’m not an expert

Neither is this guy … but it clearly hasn’t stopped him …

How often have you stopped yourself from chasing your dream because you didn’t consider yourself to be an “expert”?

Eg. “I want to start a business, but I’m no expert.”

An “expert” by whose definition? By OTHER experts’? By YOUR definition? Or is an expert someone who has obtained “qualifications” in a particular field?

“Expert” has to be one of the most annoying words in the English language. It means so much, yet simultaneously means so little. Consider the definition provided by dictionary.com:

“A person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field”

That’s pretty vague when you think about it. For example, what’s the definition of “special skill” or even “knowledge”?

If you think “knowledge” means obtaining “qualifications”, then stop and think for a second. Try to step back from the relentless pre-conditioning you have received throughout life about the “importance” of qualifications.

Then SCREW the qualifications. Honestly.

Unless your dream is to work as a lawyer, doctor, engineer, nurse, school teacher, etc (basically any job that LEGALLY requires you to hold some sort of relevant qualification), YOU DON’T NEED PAPER “QUALIFICATIONS”. Paper “qualifications” often “prepare” you to do too much thinking, and not enough action. Paper qualifications tend to be 3+ years of procrastination. Trust me. I’ve been there several times …

So if you think a paper qualification will give you “special skills”, then guess again. University curriculums are often outdated, and are rarely cutting-edge. Why? Because these are big institutions that are slow to adapt to anything new. Besides, they don’t have a lot of incentive to adapt. Their enrollments keep going up year after year, because they do such a great job of convincing people that a degree is the key to success. It’s not. Ask Bill Gates. Ask Richard Branson. Ask Steve Jobs.

So the only definition of “expert” that you should be using (if you REALLY want to continue to use that word…) is this one: an expert is someone who can help other people with something. THAT’S IT.

You do not need to be the NUMBER 1 EXPERT ON THE PLANET (unless you really need that “ego massage” … if so, perhaps a visit to a “massage parlour” is more your thing …). All you need to know, is to know MORE than your customer does about a particular area (using “starting a business” as an example of chasing your dream).

Chances are that you already know a LOT more than a LOT of other people do about your particular area. So guess what that means? Yep, YOU ARE AN “EXPERT”.

2) I’m too young / too old

This hasn’t stopped Susan Boyle …

Are there things that you find interesting? Are there things you are passionate about? Do you have ENERGY for these things?

If you do, that’s all that is required. End of story. Let’s put this “age” nonsense behind us now. It’s just another one of these pointless “quantity vs quality” arguments.

Who cares whether you’re only 18 and want to start your own business? Who cares if you’re 52 and are thinking about writing your first novel? What difference does the number make in this equation?

The answer is NONE.

It might be an issue if you’re looking to be employed by someone, since, let’s face it, employers WILL discriminate based on age (despite what local laws might have to say about that…).

But if your dream doesn’t rely on anyone “employing” you, then your age is completely irrelevant.

The only relevance it might have is that you never truly know how long you have before your time expires. That applies to you regardless of whether you’re only 18, or whether you’re in your 50′s. Don’t ever forget that. All the more reason to hurry the f*ck up and start!

3) People tell me to get a “real job”

“Get a real job”. Yep, people say a LOT of stupid things – and this has to be one of the winners. Next time someone tells you this, ask them whether they can ask you something “real original” in future …

Let’s face it – we’re all wired differently. We don’t all learn the same way. We don’t all find the same things interesting. And we all certainly aren’t destined to work the same handful of jobs that supposedly represent “real jobs”.

Firstly, what does “real job” mean? Does it mean a 9-5 office job? Does it mean being part of the “rat race”? Does it mean working a job that is unstimulating and unsatisfying to you, just so that you can pay off your monthly instalments on things you don’t actually need? If so, that might be appealing to some people, but why should you feel forced to accept it as your own destiny?

Secondly, some people that tell you to get a “real job” probably have some minor level of resentment towards you. Perhaps they, too, once had dreams in life. Dreams that someone else ALSO told them were unrealistic. So they ended up accepting less in life, sacrificed their dreams, and now don’t want to see you achieving them either. Because that’s “the real world”. You should therefore get a “real job”. Suck it up, Princess!

Pfff, it doesn’t have to be like that, AND YOU KNOW IT.

Remember – just because a majority of people have decided that this is the way one should live their life, doesn’t mean it’s right for YOU. Additionally, it doesn’t mean they’re right in the first place.

And if those closest around you keep telling you to get a “real job” too, it’s time to change your social circles. Don’t keep surrounding yourself with this negativity. Otherwise you’ll regret your life one day…

4) It’s tough in the “current climate”

5) People don’t support my dream

This one is closely related to number 3 above. I’ve personally never understood this one. The answer is simple. Either accept it (in which case sometimes people will eventually “come round”…), or find new social circles.

Sometimes it might seem near impossible to do any one of those. Perhaps you’re romantically involved with someone who genuinely doesn’t want you pursuing your dreams. It’s amazing how often this happens. If this explains YOUR situation, take a look at it objectively. The other person is essentially saying that their OWN happiness is more important than YOURS.

I simply don’t understand the purpose of a close relationship if the other person does not want to see you succeed at something that is important to you. THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP. How long will you suppress your own dreams to make the other person “happy”? What kind of a f*cked up relationship are you in?!!

6) What if I fail?

“FAIL”. Ah, yes – a word that our society seems obsessed with. Fail. Mistake. Lindsay Lohan. It goes by a number of different names.

I don’t know what has happened to us the last few decades. Or maybe it’s always been like this. We seem to have been taught from a young age that mistakes are BAD. At school we were penalised for making mistakes. If we made too many mistakes we were sent to a “special room” where we would basically stare at a wall for an hour to “teach us a lesson”. Or maybe that was just me … either way, that experience taught me a lot about load-bearing structures.

So naturally we grow up programmed to be afraid of making mistakes. And then we thrust our fear of mistakes onto other people in society. We’ll loudly “boo” (or worse) a player out on the field who missed a goal that “he should have scored”.

Or, better yet, we’ll demand one of our elected officials be immediately sacked because he or she just made a mistake. It’s no wonder our governments often can’t solve anything when they’re under such relentless pressure. It’s no wonder they shy away from some of the longer-term important issues – issues where mistakes HAVE to be made to eventually achieve success. Instead, they just look at the opinion polls all the time, and try to make decisions that are “safe”, but won’t propel us forward as a society.

We NEED to make mistakes. That is the best way of learning anything. No amount of “qualifications” will teach you the stuff that a mistake can teach you. Success does not necessarily teach you anything. Expecting to constantly succeed at EVERYTHING in life, every step of the way, has to be the biggest delusion imaginable. Are you doing it without realising it? Go out there and start making some mistakes instead (the legal kind obviously)!

7) I don’t have time

You don’t have time now, you say? Well, you certainly won’t have time when you end up in Davy Jones’ Locker …

We could talk about time management techniques for hours here. But the initial problem for many people seems to be quite simple.

Firstly, refer back to number 4 above. That should free up PLENTY of time to begin with (both physically, and mentally).

Secondly, stop wasting hours in front of the television (or computer screen). Yes, we all need some time off every now and then. We all need leisure and entertainment. But a lot of us take it too far.

I often like to go for a drive through the suburbs, and down along the beach. And it always amazes me how many televisions I can see from the street. It often seems like every second house has the television on.

That might be fine if you are genuinely happy with life, and everything is already perfect for you. Fair enough. Keep watching that television then.

But for many of us, that is not the case. Yet we continue to consume countless hours in front of the “idiot box”, and then exclaim that we “don’t have enough time!”. I often see some scary statistics that say that the average person tends to watch 3-5 hours of television EVERY DAY. How on earth are people doing this?!!

We each have 24 hours in every day. The time is there. You’re only running out of time because you’re not prioritising the most important things. So do this for a week: start tracking what you spend time on every day. You will quickly see where your time disappears.

But some people genuinely feel they don’t have time. Perhaps you spend 40 hours a week in a mindless office job that you hate. Well, I am willing to bet you don’t spend all of that time “working” (don’t worry, I won’t tell the boss … ;)

Let’s face it – there are MANY office jobs where there literally isn’t enough work to fill all the time that you have to be “present”. You could either spend this time mindlessly surfing the web, or emailing all your friends a video of some skateboarder knackering themselves on a hand rail (that gets me every time!).

But seriously – USE this additional time to start making your dreams happen (hopefully it doesn’t involve hand rails …). After all, someone is paying you to fill your time with SOMETHING! Think of it as someone paying you to pursue your dreams. Just don’t tell them that or you might be sent to a room to stare at the wall for an hour!

However, if you work a job that gives you NO free time, a job where you’re worked to the bone 80+ hours a week and have no time outside of work either, then it’s time to think about changing your circumstances (unless you love what you do – in which case why are you reading this article?). I can understand it’s scary. But what are you sacrificing if you don’t?

8) I don’t like people

We probably should have dealt with this first …

You need to clarify this thought for yourself. Do you not like certain “types” of people? Or do you really not like ANYONE?

If it’s the first one, fair enough. There are certain types of people that none of us will ever truly click with. That’s fine. Accept it. Focus on dreams that don’t involve those types of people, if you can.

But if it’s the second reason, then you have a problem that you need to solve before you can continue your dreams. Sure, you might think that some dreams don’t require you to deal with people. Maybe you want to be a painter, an author, or run your own one-person business. Well, unless you only want a hobby, you will still need to be able to work with people. After all, how do you intend on SELLING your work??

Believe it or not, people generally won’t come knocking on your door because they’ve somehow noticed your “talent”. Sure, that MIGHT happen to the occassional person. Perhaps. But to at least have a greater chance of success, you will need to “put yourself out there”.

If, ultimately, your dreams revolve around giving other people something (whether that’s a service, a product, or just making them feel good in some way), how could you NOT like people??

But if this is seriously a problem for you, please skip to the bottom of this article for some useful resources that might help. Otherwise, if you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself living in a log cabin far away from civilisation sometime soon … but if that’s what you want, read no further. Perhaps in future I’ll write an article about things to look out for when purchasing a log cabin …

9) It’s “risky”

Everything is “risky”. You’re reading this article on some sort of monitor right now. Chances are, we’re both receiving a nice dose of radiation as a result. And chances are that within a few decades research will reveal how much damage these various monitors are causing us RIGHT NOW. Yes, it’s something I’d rather not think about either …

It’s often said that driving your car is even more “risky” than catching a plane (no wonder John Travolta flies himself everywhere…).

And you know what? Even sitting on a chair can be “risky” …

And to think … this guy is the “Chair”-person of the committee. Ah, the irony …

EVERYTHING is “risky”. Pursuing your dreams is “risky”. You might make mistakes. You might even … *shock-horror* … FAIL. Well, as the cliche goes, if you fall, you just get back up again.

But NOT pursuing your dreams is even riskier. By not pursuing, you have failed without even trying. And what’s worse – you haven’t learnt ANYTHING from it. You have lost everything, and gained nothing.

10) I’m waiting to be inspired

How’s that working out for you? Have you been waiting a few years now? Who, or WHAT, is supposed to magically inspire you?

Sure, inspiration is GREAT. A motivational piece/book/tape can be very useful. It temporarily makes us believe WE CAN DO ANYTHING (which we need to start believing more regularly). But then the feeling passes … and we’re back at square one. Then we wait for our next dose of “inspiration” (now available in a multitude of different flavours …).

And the cycle continues …

Let’s face it – this is why “self-help” books sell so damn well. Many of us LOVE devouring this type of stuff. And it CAN certainly be useful – but only if combined with ACTION. Don’t fall into the trap of becoming addicted to “inspiration”. Most people never take the ACTION required.

Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.

- Pablo Picasso

Let’s take the alternative to the extreme, and see what happens. Here is a terrific quote from Steve Manning:

Can you think of any profession that operates only when inspiration hits?

“Sorry lady, I can’t fix your plumbing today, I’m not inspired.”

“I’m not coming into the office today, boss, sorry, no inspiration.”

“Love to remove that cancerous growth from you today, Mr. Jeffries, but, well, I’m not feeling particularly inspired.”

There is no reason your dream should be treated any differently. Start working and THEN you will find inspiration (which will propel you even further forward).

Stop believing in the fairytale that inspiration will suddenly strike you like a bolt of lightning. It might for a select few individuals (arguably), but it’s not worth counting on …

11) I’m planning on thinking about possibly doing it sometime … maybe

Whoa, hold your horses there, cowboy! Don’t be so committed!!

We both know what happens here. Ultimately, NOTHING.

Stop “thinking” about planning. Sit down and do it RIGHT NOW. Believe it or not, there is NO such thing as the “perfect time” to start something. It’s only your lazy brain trying to convince you that something like that exists. Tomorrow will be no different from today, but you will be one day further away from your dream (and one day closer to death! Okay, I promise to stop saying that!).

Start things NOW, and within an hour you will be on a roll. Then focus on finding at least SOME time EVERY DAY to continue pursuing your dreams. This might only mean 10 minutes some days, or maybe 30-60 minutes if you’re lucky. BUT IT’S BETTER THAN NOTHING. Imagine you find 1 hour a day for a whole year. That’s just over 15 FULL 24-HOUR days of working towards your dream. Or, if you prefer, that’s 45 8-hour work days. That’s like 2 months of work!! And that’s even while you’re already working another job!

So use this time, and the momentum will build (if you truly enjoy what you are doing of course!).

12) I probably can’t beat the competition

That’s what I used to think too. And I used to think that about EVERYTHING.

It’s true – no matter how good you are, there will ALWAYS be someone that does it better (apart from James Bond … after all, “nobody does it better” …) So what? Let them. There is enough room on the planet for both of you.

But it’s also possible that you are SERIOUSLY overestimating your competition. It never ceases to amaze me HOW MANY PEOPLE simply don’t “show up” in life. They say they will do something, then they fail to follow it through.

When I used to be a student at university (I don’t recommend it, by the way …), I used to think my writing was pretty bad. I used to think all my essays probably didn’t live up to the standards of my peers.

Later, I began TEACHING at university (yeah, I know … how did THAT happen!). So from writing essays I went to MARKING essays. HUNDREDS of essays every year. And what I saw  shocked me. The standard of the majority of papers was absolutely terrible. Weak arguments, misunderstanding of basic information, incomprehensible paragraphs, spelling errors, grammar errors, and just overall laziness and slopiness. Then when I read a good paper every now and then, IT REALLY STOOD OUT.

So you might not think you are anything “hot”, but chances are you’re WAY ahead of the competititon without even realising it. And if your dream is to start your own business, you’ll be ahead of the competition simply by RESPONDING TO ALL ENQUIRIES, BEING RELIABLE, and ACTUALLY LISTENING.

Yes, the simplicity of this advice astounds me as well. But it’s TRUE. The bar in life is often set very low by other people. It doesn’t have to be hard to beat at all. The major obstacle to beat is YOUR OWN MIND.

13) I don’t know what I’m doing!

Neither do I … don’t tell anyone … ;)

But seriously, this is a perfectly normal “fear” to have. And it’s a fear that keeps us grounded and modest. It is CRUCIAL. You might only feel it occassionally, but it’s just checking up on you to ensure you haven’t grown a large head recently.

But if you start thinking you know it all, then you’re overdue for an unpleasant wake up call soon … and a “big head” will be the least of your problems …

So … what now?

But ultimately all of the above is just words on a page. Why have I written them? I have written them because I want to see you pursue your dreams. And I want to see MYSELF pursue my dreams too. The above is as much a reminder for you, as it is for me. We are all guilty of these doubts. Perhaps you only have a few of them. Or you might have even MORE than I have mentioned above.

To finish this mammoth article, I will leave you with a few further self-development resources that will help inspire and motivate you further.

But be warned: reading about self-development can often become just another form of procrastination. It boils down to searching for inspiration again. Remember, inspiration needs to find us working first. But, when you feel you need that extra “hit” every now and then, I recommend you check out the following:

Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch was a Carnegie Mellon Professor of Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction and Design. Randy achieved some incredible stuff during his lifetime.

One of his final major achievements was presenting a lecture – a lecture he knew would be the final lecture of his life (Randy had been diagnosed with a terminal illness). He took this opportunity to share the lessons he had learned in life, and to inspire and motivate others to pursue their childhood dreams.

The result is one final lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”. It was a hit right across the web in 2007, and was seen by millions of people. Now, here it is one more time:

Randy died within a year of presenting his final lecture (he was only in his late 40′s). Before he died, he also wrote a book that expanded on the above lecture. It’s called “The Last Lecture”. You can get it here.

So if you need one last kick in the pants to get moving, the above video and book are it.

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs, as you would no doubt know, is the CEO of Apple, and the major reason Apple has become such a huge success during the last decade (of course, few people seem to realise how much of an impact Steve Wozniak had too, especially in the earlier days … but perhaps I’m biased as a fellow Wozniak!). Whether you love or hate Apple, it doesn’t really matter. We can’t deny the influence and accomplishments of this guy.

During the last few years he has also battled with some serious health issues. At one stage, he was near death. The realisations he came to during that period provided some great reflections in the following, legendary commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005, where he urges us all to pursue our dream and see the opportunities in life’s setbacks:

Self-Development Blogs

Below are some of my favourite self-development blogs. They are written by people I respect tremendously. People that I have learned from. I have no doubt you will learn something from them too.

The Positivity Blog
Written by Henrik Edberg, a self-described self-development “enthusiast” who has some great advice on attaining happiness in life.

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Originally written by Glen Allsopp, who at the age of 19 had already attained the sort of wisdom about life that many people never attain during their entire lifetime.

The Art of Nonconformity
Written by Chris Guillebeau, a well-travelled, unconventional individual whose goal is to help others change the world and achieve their own personal goals. He is author of several e-books, including “A Brief Guide to World Domination” and “279 Days to Overnight Success“.

Zen Habits
Written by Leo Babauta, who has created quite a remarkable life for himself, and now runs a self-development blog that is one of the top 100 blogs on the internet. He is also author of “Zen to Done: The Ultimate Simple Productivity System” and “Power of Less, The: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential…in Business and in Life”.

The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
Written by Tim Ferriss, the “Indiana Jones for the digital age”, and writer of the New York Times bestseller: “The 4-Hour work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich”

Classic Self-Development E-books

“The University of Hard Knocks”
Written by Ralph Parlette and published in 1914! Yet it remains incredibly relevant today. An absolute must-read that will change your perspective on life. Available as a free e-book here, or in hard copy here.

“As A Man Thinketh”
Written by James Allen and published in 1902! This book basically started the “self development” movement. Available as a free e-book here, or in hard copy here.

“Think and Grow Rich”
Written by Napolean Hill and published in 1937. This book features a list of 15 “laws” of success intended to be applied by anybody to achieve personal success. Available as a free e-book here.

One last thought for you …

I have one final quote to share with you all:

The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.

- W.M Lewis

Don’t wait any longer … you have nothing to gain, and everything to lose.

Well, I guess I better introduce the purpose of this website and blog then … now that you’ve put me on the spot!

I’ve had this domain name for quite a while (egotistical, I know!), but it wasn’t until recently that I finally decided what to do with it.

So voila – the website you are looking at now.

It’s a snapshot of who I am, while – more importantly – serving as a hub from which I can base my activities. Those activities involve building a community, as well as helping and entertaining as many people as I can through my projects, as well as my blog.

The blog you’re reading now will be one of the major features of this new website, and one that I hope will attract a lot of like-minded people (presuming I write regularly, that is!).

While I don’t intend to lock down a specific subject area at this stage, all I can say is that the topics will broadly cover personal development, as well as unconventional thinking. These aren’t necessarily original areas (how “conventional”, right …?), but hopefully I can put my own spin on them. Sometimes, I’ll probably go off on a tangent altogether!

If some of these blog articles help people look at things from a different angle, help them gain confidence and motivation, or just make them smile and laugh, then I will have accomplished my goal … of writing annoying cliches.

But seriously – I just want to see people succeed.

There is nothing more exhilarating to me than seeing people find things that make them feel alive.

I love seeing people break free from the preconditioning they have received from society … preconditioning that tries to convince them that mediocrity should be their aspiration in life.

So, not surprisingly, what I hate seeing is people accept less than their potential.

It’s not only bad for the individual, but it’s ultimately bad for the progress of society. We need people who are creative, passionate, and alive. We need people who are driven to become the best human being they can be. And we need those people to help as many others as they can.

So this blog is my public attempt at doing what I can to not only improve myself (there are a LOT of areas to improve, believe me!), but also help as many other people along the way.

So let’s help each other along this journey! :)