Finding WILL POWER: persistence vs arrogance
I was listening to a satsang the other day lead by Swamiji (aka Paramahamsa Nithynanda) discussing something called Will Persistence vs Will Arrogance. Intrigued by the link to will power, I listened to the entire video on my commute.
Audio only of course. I mean, really. I WAS driving after all. 😉
I began thinking about how this plays out in life for us all and thought, “man, how many things am I arrogant about where I could be persistent about instead?”
In my experience, arrogance comes from doing things in need of the approval of others rather than by sheer will. Swamiji tells of how the arrogant form of will runs out fast while the persistent form is infinite.
Imagine…Infinite will power!!!
Everything you’ve ever wanted was/is actually possible because you set your mind AND actions to it.
BAM!
So with this discussion in my head, I flashed back to a time when I was creating a massive shift in my life. When will power was unstoppable.
I was reading tons of personal development books, crafting new ways of perceiving myself, and experimenting with new behavior patterns such that I could develop a stronger character.
I read Think and Grow Rich for the first time and it blew my mind how spot on it was! 😝 Not just to my life at the time, but to everyone else I observed around me at that time.
Napoleon Hill defines Persistence as:
“The sustained effort necessary to induce faith.
The eighth step toward riches.”
He goes on to say, “ Persistence is an essential factor in the procedure of transmuting desire into its monetary equivalent. The basis of persistence is power of will.”
We all know that procrastinators who delay taking action on the most important tasks are the ones who always have excuses! There’s always an epic reason WHY they were not able to apply will power or follow through on a commitment.
We’ll reference Napoleon Hill’s Symptoms of Lack of Persistence below for this:
I had to care of my sick neighbor’s aunt- #8 The habit of blaming others for one’s mistakes, and accepting unfavorable circumstances as being unavoidable.
My alarm didn’t go off- #4 Indecision, the habit of ‘passing the buck’
I got stuck in traffic- #5 The habit of relying upon alibis instead of creating definite plans for the solution of problems
I didn’t have enough time to do it- #14 The habit of comprimising with poverty…general absence of ambition to be, do, and to own
When in the end, those excuses were simply there because the person legitimately did not commit to complete the task with clear intention and/or habit. Whether it came down to fear of not getting it right or fear of judgement, the issue of not enoughness always overshadows the potential wins.
And as I am one of THE worst perfectionists around, I’m constantly pushing the boundaries of my need to have things look just right…my mind telling me I’m not good enough to reach that next level.
Thankfully…
I have learned to tune that nagging voice out most of the time.
If perfectionism is the ground work by which we develop arrogance mainly due to our need for approval in our “perfect” work, then we lose our power to create in flow to the gnawing pain of creative blocks.
Which is, of course, the perfectionist’s dilemma.
Getting up is seriously a chore for most people…
Snooze button? Yes, please! x5? Try x10. 😣
This pattern teaches the brain that we cannot be trusted to make decisions that will stick. We are literally conditioning our brain to believe we cannot be trusted with our word!
Yet, if we truly want to live out a dream life, there’s no better path than to learn how to use our will power to create a solid relationship WITH ourselves rather than to constantly seek outside validation as cause for taking action.
My clients hear me say often that trusting others first begins with trusting yourself.
That’s an absolute fact.
There has not been ANYONE I have met who says they have trust issues who does not battle with their own personal integrity to a certain degree. There’s at least one or more things in their world they are not following through on and this becomes their biggest struggle…
A craving or vice they can’t seem to crack.
What’s even crazier about this struggle is that people who are constantly seeking validation from outside sources, do so BECAUSE they do not approve of themselves.
And so my first piece of advice when it comes to creating more will power is building self trust and personal accountability!
Even the smallest of things can make a huge difference:
1- making your bed upon waking
2- drinking 24oz of himalayan pink salt infused water before coffee consumption
3- sticking to your workout schedule no matter how tired, sluggish or uninspired you feel
4- keeping a gratitude journal daily of 3 things you are thankful for
5- waking up with your FIRST alarm…not your 5th…or 10th
This list may not seem big enough but trust me, if you are not doing these small tasks daily, you may already be behind in your potential power. It’s okay to start small while you build back up your self trust.
And seriously, don’t try to go zero to hero just because you have a point to prove! Your brain won’t know how to handle itself if you create too many disciplines at once when you have previously been using your mind to focus on avoidance.
This form of what Swamiji calls Will Arrogance is by nature selfish (self serving of the ego, not of the higher self) and energetically draining (cluttering up the mind with analysis paralysis).
If you struggle with will power, just know, it’s purely because you have broken your self trust far too many times.
From Will Arrogance and move toward Will Persistence
Napoleon Hill states that persistence (true will power) is developed through qualities such as:
a- Definiteness of purpose- knowing exactly what you want and accepting nothing less (See the book Outwitting the Devil for a very thorough discussion on this topic)
b- Self reliance- belief in one’s ability to carry out a plan
c- Definiteness of plan- clear outline of the strategy
d- Habit- repetition of courageous acts
Basically…keep your word to yourself and take action on it DAILY without worrying about how it looks or who’s watching.
THIS is the path to claiming your infinite flow of will power.
What habit, skill or craving do you struggle with most in keeping your word to yourself? Share it in the comment section below.
About the author:
Alida is an Intuitive Life Strategist, student of comparative religions, and co-owner of Mind Soul Fit OC in Newport Beach, CA. Her coaching company, Ambassador for Goodness, hosts various workshops on mindfulness, spiritual entrepreneurship, intuitive eating, art therapy, and relationship success. This blog is also a podcast called Wisdom Nuggets and can be found on iTunes, Anchor, Google Play Music, Overcast and Pocketcasts.
