Resistance is greatest just before the finish line.
STEVEN PRESSFIELDBe too dumb to quit and too stubborn to back off.
More Steven Pressfield Quotes
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It’s better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot.
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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.
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Courage is inseparable from love and leads to what may arguably be the noblest of all warrior virtues: selflessness.
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A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. It’s only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.
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The Spartans say that any army may win while it still has legs under it; the real test comes when all strength is fled and the men must produce victory on will alone.
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Do you love your idea? Does it feel right on instinct? Are you willing to bleed for it?
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When we turn pro we stop running from our fears. We turn around and face them.
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What finally convinced me to go ahead was simply that I was so unhappy not going ahead.
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In my experience, depth of work consists of two components. The first is recklessness; the second is discipline.
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Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work.
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Our greatest battle is to become ourselves, in the face of adversity.
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The professional does not wait for inspiration; he acts in anticipation of it.
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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.
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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.
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When we see others beginning to live their authentic selves, it drives us crazy if we have not lived out our own.
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Every sun casts a shadow, and genius’s shadow is Resistance.
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Seeking support from friends and and family is like having people gathered around at your deathbed. It’s nice, but when the ship sails, all they can do is stand on the dock waving goodbye.
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The Principle of Priority states (a) you must know the difference between what is urgent and what is important, and (b) you must do what’s important first.
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The professional will not tolerate disorder… He wants the carpet vacuumed and the threshold swept, so the Muse may enter and not soil her gown.
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Be too dumb to quit and too stubborn to back off.
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The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death.
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As all born teachers, he was primarily a student.
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Those who will not govern themselves are condemned to find masters to govern over them.
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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.
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The critic hates most that which he would have done himself if he had had the guts.
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A cavalryman’s horse should be smarter than he is. But the horse must never be allowed to know this.
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