Will Power

Will Power

By: Ethan Brisby

October 8, 2018

What is it?

How do you build it?

The simple answer for how to build will power is to keep going.

However, there is something about will power that is also an inherent reasonable belief that if you do keep going, things will work in your favor. For me, will power is an extreme intersection of faith, intelligence, and courage. I have personally used each of these elements to will myself to different goals in life; big and small.

Recently, while in a Bikram Yoga class I came face to face with my will power. In this form of yoga, the room is 105 degrees and there are 26 poses that you must perform twice. It is a definite challenge as many are unable to complete an entire course without sitting out a pose or five. While others simply leave the room, because they just can not take it.

I personally, have never left the room, but a time or two I have certainly sat out part of if not all a certain pose either due to difficulty or lack of will power. The course I speak of was set in Marina Del Rey, California. I do not know if it was the influx of beautiful women or simply my intuition and desire, but somewhere within me, I dug as deep as I ever have to ensure I gave 100% participation during this class.

I began to regulate my breathing and, I made an attempt to stretch further than I had before. Ironically enough, this is actually what allowed me to maintain and continue the course without fault. Every time I wanted to sit, I would concentrate on my breathing; in through the nose, out through the nose. Then I would push myself to do more.

Eventually, before the class ended, I’d pushed myself so much that I began to cramp in my hands. My thumb literally was locked in a position as it I was trying to put up the number four with my fingers. It was a scary feeling for a minute, but I felt satisfaction knowing I’d pushed myself and it felt good.

Will power is the difference between constant mediocrity and imminent resolution. It’s when you do not “feel” like doing a thing, but you push yourself to completion that will power is in action. Take for example the college graduate. This is a person that has overcome a myriad of adversity and defeat, but it is their desire to obtain a college diploma, motivated by the idea of securing a career position with a corporation that will pay them well. This thought propels many individuals that otherwise would have not to complete their university studies.

Take this same person and put him or her in a similar situation ten years later when they are in a leadership or decision-making position. Unless that person can clearly define their end goal there is not way to focus their energy, intelligence, and ability into will power. Whereas in school an individual is shown a definitive end goal, many times in life we do not have a definitive end goal place before us, and instead we must define it ourselves using intuition, deductive reasoning, and perhaps the wise counsel of those around us.

It is extremely vital to know where you are going clearly when tapping into will power.  

Ethan is an author and influencer