I've been thinking a lot lately how it is that I can offer up my own (limited) knowledge and experience to others in hopes that what I have can help someone else here. It's something that we all do. But in doing this, at the same time I offer up advice, I'm dealing with some of those same issues and am still struggling a lot myself with how to deal or get through.

So in all of that, I become hypocritical without intent. It bothers me to throw around the "you should do this, you should do that" when I am not even doing it for myself! It makes me wonder -

Beyond knowledge and experience, there are other parts of the equation when it comes to actually fulfilling the positive outcome. Something more complex, more fundamental, more individual.

Nietzsche wrote, "--do you want a name for this world? A solution for all its riddles? A light for you, too, you best-concealed, strongest, most intrepid, most midnightly men?--This world is the will to power--and nothing besides! And you yourselves are also this will to power--and nothing besides!"

Nietzsche's "will to power" as individualism means not "power" over others, but over ourselves. A deep understanding and then acknowledging of who we are fundamentally and then using that to will ourselves to power.

I guess my question is this: What do you use to will yourself to power, beyond knowledge and experience.

Best,
Rachel

Wow, Rachel...in my experience right now, that is the $64,000 question! I have long struggled with how to activate my will beyond the minimum exertion needed for survival. In terms of the "fight, flight, or freeze" continuum, my lifetime habit has been deep freeze. The (not so) proverbial rabbit in the headlights.

I call it "volitional paralysis." It's also known as "learned helplessness" in some circles.

I'm going to think on your post some more...

My Answer: My stubbornness to fail... I just don't aim low; always high... period.

Ahhhhh....Rachel....too existential for me!!!! I'm teaching the existentialists right now, and all that stuff makes my head spin!

I use my bloody-minded determination to will myself to power. The notion of 'whatever happens, I always have myself'... not a good philosophy to live by (else you become selfish and closed off), but it helps me to will myself to power when it is needed. When the chips are down, I'm having a hard time... I often find myself saying 'well, at least you have yourself....as long as you are alive, nobody can take that from you...'. It allows me to take responsibility for my life as far as I can, and it allows me to take some passion and pride in the fact that it is MY life... nobody else knows it like I do. Because it belongs to me... whatever good or bad... I'm damn well still here, owning my life and my self...

That wills me to power. The basic knowledge that I am me and nobody else can be that. And that nobody knows me like I do... the only person I have to prove anything to is myself... but I think it's important to keep proving things to yourself. Otherwise, you stop trying, stop pushing your limits, stop seeing what you can do and can survive, and can achieve, can appreciate, learn, own, become etc....

It's very basic but fundamentally important to me.

I like the post!

So Linasmom... what wills you to power?

PS. Congratulations on become a mod!

I go within and ask myself questions, i.e. why, when, how etc., and I don't stop until I get the answer that resonates with me.

I'm going through this process right now and have been since I had an issue with my child. I don't know the answer yet, but I do believe it will come to me.

Tammy

Darn good question, and you have an eloquent way of asking it.
In my older days, it was fear, and fear of failure.
It served me well in some ways, but what a price to pay.
For me, it's a combination of things, such as exploration, paradox, and boredome at times. I like to have things to look forward to.
I like to see my family grow and be happy.
There is also a bit of AA in there. I believe in a higher power, I myself call him God. I try to have some faith that he ultimately has all power, I'm just a teensy little thing, only on this earth for a short time.
I really believe the fear thing is gone, none that I'm consciously aware of, for which I'm gratefull.

How do I push myself through the door.

Sometimes it is knowing the outcome if I don't. Other times it is just simple frustration of not wanting to be where I am anymore. Sometimes I do it for the people who care about me (not a good idea but the truth).

The question stimulates me to think why do we bother. As you stated there is a lot there behind the eyes that control this I think. We are all survivors, meaning many of us did not choose to curl up and quit under our individual circumstances even though that would have been so easy. We coped with it in many ways but came through the traumas, scared, but out the other side.

I think there is something with the will to live, the faith of knowing something better is out there even if we can't define it. The desire to experience life in a meaningful way despite the trauma. We just keep picking ourselves up and keep going - some of us in circles and some of us forward.

Very interesting question.