Two Book Reviews: Slaying the Lizard Brain & Not Flinching While You’re Doing It

The weather in Boulder over the past two weeks or so has been aggressively frigid; the kind of cold that slashes at the part of your wrist exposed between your glove and the bottom of your sleeve, turns your breath into rainforest heavy dew that fogs up your glasses and freezes your gears. I, at one point, gave up the commuting goal and took the bus into work. I really feel that people don’t take the bus because the inside is as depressing as hell, which is only matched by the surliness of some of the drivers. But that’s another post altogether.

One great benefit of the weather is that it affords me extra time to do some reading. So, I picked up Julien Smith’s Flinch and Steven Pressfield’s War of Art. Both address the internal critic in each of us; the voice inside of us that crushes our creativity and slashes at our self-esteem when we try and step beyond our comfort zone. Julien’s inner predator is called Flinch, Steven’s is called Lizard Brain. Both believe that the path to life’s success is to constantly and consistently confront the Lizard Flinch; that if you aren’t uncomfortable, losing friends and families to your true self, then you’re not practicing your art. I’ve simplified and trivialized to some degree both books and although I do think there is real value in reading both, after the inspiration to get into the ring and kicked butt has left, I realize that I really love my family and friends and think they are an important part of my path. Of course, there are people we’ve all met in our lives that take great pleasure in bringing us down but there also wonderful people in our circle that have supported and lifted us.

Both books provide great reminders of the need to work and practice to achieve any sort of progress in writing, learning a new language – that there are simply no short cuts. You can either choose to Tweet and watch Survivor or you can work on that painting, getting code, whatever it is that enables you to create.

One of the thoughts that has emerged after reading both books is how singular their approach is to how we should engage with work. There’s nothing about collaborating, or working to benefit the larger community; it’s all about you vs. the Lizard Finch. I don’t think there is anything wrong with a person pursuing their purpose, I do think there is a problem when others are used and cast aside as fodder for anyone’s ambition. I’m not saying either novel is outright suggesting that but it can be easy to jump to that conclusion when you read how you may loose friends and family along the way towards building your own business, writing your novel, etc. Read David Brooks’ Life Reports, where he posts the thoughts of an older generation of Americans about their life towards the end of their life, they’ve never say they should have spent more time at work.

I recommend reading either book to learn suggestions for silencing your own Lizard Finch and then hug your dog.