Work On Your Life Force

“When a patient commits to pursuing their potential, it triggers their Life Force, and it’s the Life Force that gives them the vitality to heal themselves. You can bury your symptoms with meds, you can avoid situations that trigger them, but if you want to change yourself in a lasting way, you need to put yourself in forward motion and pursue your potential.” -Phil Stutz

“Though the Life Force supplies us with its own purpose, it has no other brains to work with than those it has painfully and imperfectly evolved in our heads…This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” -George Bernard Shaw

“May the Force be with you. Always.” -Obi-Wan Kenobi

Struggling today? Feeling anxious or lost? Unmotivated to do anything?

First, go through the self care checklist. Did you get enough sleep? Water? Exercise? Etc.

And then, per renowned therapist and psychiatrist Phil Stutz, work on your life force.

He explains it in this excellent documentary, “Stutz”, directed by Jonah Hill. (Hat tip to my friend Melanie and her production company, Fishbowl Films, for producing. They’re also nominated for an Oscar this year for their documentary, “Navlany.” Go Mel!)

Every day, but especially those bad days, those “dark night of the soul” days, work on your life force.

Start with exercise. Get out. Get moving. Be in nature.

Next, call up a friend. Meet up for coffee. Have a good, deep conversation. (Bonus points if you go for a walk together.)

Last, get out a pen and paper and start journaling. Use the Julia Cameron technique from the Artist Way–write three pages without lifting your pen from the page. Don’t think. Just write.

You’ll immediately feel better. If not, rinse and repeat.

Do this today. Do it every day.

May the Force be with you.

P.S. – For more Stutz, this LAT article. And this New Yorker article.

P.P.S. – Yesterday, I forgot to attribute the quote about intention and obstacle. You may have guessed from the Jack Nicholson/”A Few Good Men” picture. It was writer Aaron Sorkin.