"Will" originates from another dimension, another world. What we see as Will is but a manifestation of its hidden actions, whether in thought, feeling, instinct or deed.
The deliberate exercise of "willpower"—defined as the conscious, intentional exertion of effort—is too often mythologized as the province of heroes and providential figures. Such portrayals, while inspiring, oversimplify the difficult discipline required for genuine, self-initiated will.
Heroic narratives recount moments when individuals seemingly summon superhuman strength—lifting a fallen tree or a wrecked car to rescue another. Yet these feats, far from representing a premeditated act of will, are typically reactions to overwhelming external exigencies. In essence, they are not demonstrations of consciously harnessed power but rather subconscious instincts erupting under duress.
True, conscious exercise of the will demands that the impetus for action originates entirely within the individual, devoid of any external compulsion. Only in the absence of “compelling circumstances” can one affirm that the act of willing is a product of intrinsic resolve rather than reactive necessity.
Take, for instance, the "Preparation Exercise." This rigorous inner work offers no external accolades or material rewards. Its significance lies solely in the self-directed pursuit of personal growth—a long-term, often solitary commitment that few are prepared to undertake. It is an unheralded striving against inertia, demanding persistence and authenticity.
At first glance, this relentless inner discipline might evoke the Greek "Sisyphean myth", wherein Sisyphus endures an endless cycle of effort and futility. Sisyphus's punishment in the underworld, his eternal task, was to roll a boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down before he could reach the top.
However, the secret to genuine willpower is not found in ceaseless resistance or mere repetition that results in endless warring or battling with oneself or other; it lies in invocating and incorporating a "reconciling force"—a transformative alignment between intention and action—that transcends the merry-go-round of mere mechanical exertion.
Access and application of this reconciling force—which is identified with the "Holy Spirt" in Christianity and the "Third Force" in Gurdjieff's System—is where "Real Will"resides. The invocation of the reconciling force can begin only when I see, irrevocably, my own helplessness and powerlessness in the face of literally everything. Its incorporation can begin only when I trust, deeply, through experience, that its will is far greater than mine.
And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. Luke 22:41-43 NKJV
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