One of the things I plan to do with Keyboard Reflections is to share reviews of books that I have thoroughly enjoyed or found to be enlightening. One of those books is The War Of Art by Steven Pressfield.
I was given this book as a Christmas gift by one of our sons who is a singer/songwriter in Nashville. The book focuses on overcoming the blockages that get in the way of people starting a project or finishing what they started. While we often hear of authors with writer’s block, it applies equally to anyone who is creative, entrepreneurs, people starting to diet or exercise… The list goes on.
Pressfield introduces the subject by pointing out that each of us has two lives. There is the one we live and the one unlived within us. Between the two stands resistance. The first third of the book examines how resistance prevents us from fulfilling our dreams or living our lives to the fullest.
The next third deals with the difference between professionals and amateurs. He uses the term “professionalism” as an ideal and explains what it means to be professional in chasing our dreams and overcoming resistance.
In the last part of the book, Pressfield encourages the reader to embrace the magic allies surrounding us to make a start and to continue on the path towards living the unlived life within us.
I have to admit to being a bit lost in the final section when the concepts become more abstract. Nevertheless, the first two sections offer enough valuable insight into the resistance that might be holding us back and how to address it to make The War of Art a worthwhile read. The author cleverly uses interesting anecdotes from his life that are relatable. The blurb refers to the book as a “kick in the pants” and it is that, but it’s also a handy list of the many barriers that could be preventing us from reaching our full potential and how to overcome them. In my opinion, the first two sections alone are well worth keeping nearby and picking up when we find ourselves blocked from the goals we want to achieve.
