Going to War With Resistance: Why Purpose Beats Profit Every Time

I’ve been reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield — not The Art of War, but The War of Art. If you’re an entrepreneur, creator, or investor, this book hits differently.

At its core, the book is about resistance. That invisible force that shows up whenever you’re about to do the work that actually matters. The work tied to your calling. The thing you feel compelled to do, often without needing permission, applause, or even a paycheck.

That calling is what Pressfield calls your muse.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth: if you want to live a meaningful life or build something that lasts, you have to be willing to go to war for it.

 

Your Business Is Your Art

Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, if you’re an entrepreneur, your business is your art.

Most people don’t fail because they lack information. They fail because they aren’t committed to going to war with resistance.

Instead, they chase money.

And the pursuit of money alone always leads to a dead end.

Money by itself won’t give you fulfillment, peace, joy, or meaning. It won’t carry you through setbacks, criticism, market shifts, or long seasons where things don’t work.

What is sustainable is pursuing the calling that lives in your heart.

 

Vincent Van Gogh and the Cost of Calling

Pressfield uses Vincent Van Gogh as an example, and it stops you in your tracks.

Van Gogh never sold a single piece of art during his lifetime. 😱

Not because he wasn’t trying. Not because he didn’t care.

He was a literal starving artist.

But it didn’t stop him.

Why?

Because he wasn’t chasing money. He was pursuing his muse.

He kept creating because creating was who he was. Money didn’t define the work. The work defined the man.

Centuries later, his art is priceless.

 

The Difference Between a Muse and a Hack

Pressfield draws a sharp distinction between two types of people:

Those who follow their muse  and Those who act like hacks

A hack isn’t evil. A hack is simply someone who is in it only for the money.

They study trends, chase what’s hot, and jump from strategy to strategy trying to capitalize on whatever the market rewards in the moment.

There’s nothing wrong with making money.

But there is a difference.

When things get hard and they always do the person chasing money quits.

The person pursuing their calling adjusts.

 

Why I Never Quit Real Estate

I didn’t get into real estate for money.

I got into it for freedom. For impact. For alignment with what I felt called to do.

After more than 500 deals, tens of thousands of mortgage payments made, and raising roughly $50 million in private capital, I’ve never missed a payment to a private lender.

Not once.

And it’s not because I’m special.

It’s because this work is my muse.

Serving private lenders. Protecting their capital. Honoring trust.

That’s what keeps you going when logic says you should quit.

I’ve gone through situations where people told me flat out, “I would’ve walked away.”

They weren’t wrong.

But when the work is tied to your heart, quitting isn’t an option.

 

Final Thought

If you’re stuck, burned out, or questioning your path, ask yourself this:

Are you pursuing money or are you pursuing your calling?

One leads to burnout. The other leads to legacy.

And only one is worth going to war for.

 

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