The War of Art: Beyond Resistance week 3

The War of Art: Beyond Resistance

Week 3 — The Stories That Keep Us Safe

What if the beliefs that once protected us are now the very things holding us back?

We all carry stories about ourselves, other people, and the world around us. Some of these beliefs developed through childhood experiences, relationships, disappointments, or moments when we felt rejected, embarrassed, or vulnerable.

Over time, these stories can become so familiar that we stop questioning them. We may begin to mistake our fears for facts, our habits for personality traits, and our protective behaviors for personal preferences.

Inspired by Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art, this second gathering in our 8-week personal growth workshop will explore the beliefs and emotional patterns that often lie beneath resistance.

Rather than viewing avoidance as a lack of discipline or motivation, we’ll approach it with curiosity. What are we protecting ourselves from? And are those protections still serving us?

For our second meeting, we’ll explore:

• What stories do we tell ourselves about who we are and what we’re capable of?
• How do past experiences shape our present fears and decisions?
• When does self-protection become self-limitation?
• How might our identities be shaped by the things we consistently avoid?
• What becomes possible when we begin questioning our long-held beliefs?

What to expect:

We’ll begin by reflecting on our experiences since the first meeting and discussing Book Two: Combating Resistance — Turning Pro.

Through guided journaling and group conversation, we’ll examine the relationship between our thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and behaviors.

We’ll also explore how to recognize familiar patterns of avoidance and begin responding to them with greater awareness and intention.

Before we meet:

Please read Book Two: Combating Resistance — Turning Pro and reflect on the following question:

What is something I’ve always believed about myself that I’ve never seriously questioned?

You might also think about a recent moment when you avoided something uncomfortable. What did you tell yourself in that moment? Was that thought necessarily true?

Bring a journal or notebook if you’d like.

About the series:

This is the second of four gatherings in our 8-week personal growth workshop. We meet every other week to explore resistance, self-discovery, vulnerability, and the courage to live more authentically.

Each gathering combines ideas from The War of Art with personal reflection and meaningful group discussion.

You don’t need to have attended the first meeting to participate. Everyone is welcome, and sharing personal experiences is always optional.

Our intention isn’t to judge the ways we’ve protected ourselves, but to become curious about whether those same patterns are keeping us from the lives we want to live.