It can pay off, being a hack. Given the depraved state of American culture, a slick dude can make millions being a hack. But even if you succeed, you lose, because youโve sold out your Muse, and your Muse is you, the best part of yourself, where your finest and only true work comes from.
Steven PressfieldOur enemy is not lack of preparation; itโs not the difficulty of the project or the state of the marketplace or the emptiness of our bank account. The enemy is our chattering brain, which, if we give it so much as a nanosecond, will start producing excuses, alibis, transparent self-justifications and a million reasons why we canโt/shouldnโt/wonโt do what we know we need to do.
Steven PressfieldIf you're are paralyzed with fear it's a good sign. It shows you what you have to do.
Steven PressfieldFor what can be more noble than to slay oneself? Not literally. Not with a blade in the guts. But to extinguish the selfish self within, that part which looks only to its own preservation, to save its own skin. That, I saw, was the victory you Spartans had gained over yourselves. That was the glue. It was what you had learned and it made me stay, to learn it too.
Steven PressfieldResistance is directly proportional to love. If youโre feeling massive Resistance, the good news is, it means thereโs tremendous love there too. If you didnโt love the project that is terrifying you, you wouldnโt feel anything. The opposite of love isnโt hate; itโs indifference.
Steven Pressfield