The professional respects his craft. He does not consider himself superior to it. He recognizes the contributions of those who have gone before him. He apprentices himself to them.

I wrote in the War of Art that I could divide my life neatly into two parts: before turning pro and after. After is better.

Don't cheat the world of your contribution. Give it what you've got.

Don't prepare. Begin. Our enemy is not lack of preparation. The enemy is resistance, our chattering brain producing excuses. Start before you are ready.

Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember our rule of thumb: 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 enterprise, 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.

If you're are paralyzed with fear it's a good sign. It shows you what you have to do.

Anything that draws attention to ourselves through pain-free or artificial means is a manifestation of Resistance.