6 Questions That Can Strengthen Your Inner Will

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When 39-year-old Uzeyer Novruzov fell off his 18-foot ladder during the semi-finals of America’s Got Talent, my heart stopped. The balancing stunt previously landed him in a coma for three days, but that apparently has not stopped the circus performer from attempting it over and over again.

The first thing he said when he rose to his feet was, “If you give me another 90 seconds, I can do it.”

“WHAT THE …?!?” I yelled to my husband and son as we watched him beg the judges for more time.

Inner will … THAT is what it looks like.

A glimpse into Uzeyer’s eyes is better than any dictionary definition.

Our inner will is a curious thing. Like optimism and resilience, some people are born with more of it than others. Our genetic makeup certainly impacts our ability to focus on an outcome and dedicate ourselves to actualizing our dreams. Life circumstances also play a role. A person raised in an abusive home is going to have much more difficulty asserting himself than someone who was raised with a hefty dose of affirmations and confidence-building exercises.

However, the good news is that we can exercise our will like a muscle so that it is there when we need it.

In his new book Your Inner Will: Finding Personal Strength in Critical Times, psychotherapist and philosopher Piero Ferrucci writes:

The will is for everybody. At certain times life may seem unfriendly to us. We may feel it has awarded others, and not us, with the most desirable gifts: health and wealth, talent and privilege; maybe contacts in high places. Mostly there is nothing we can do: what is, is, and what is not, is not. Yet one element surely depends on us, and it is the will. Even if we do not have it, we can generate it. We can learn to use it to our own and other people’s advantage, turn it into an effective and creative tool. What others seem to have received for nothing, we can gain for ourselves bit by bit—then we shall feel it truly ours: not a lucky gift, but our very own victory. Nothing can be more democratic. With will, we give shape to our lives.

Ferrucci explains how training the will is similar to any kind of physical training and offers an exercise to readers. First, we must identify the areas in our life that are more delicate or tired than other aspects, where we are not as strong or resilient as we’d like to be. To get there, he lists six questions to think about – to be completed in a journal or on a piece of paper that won’t be read by your family or close friends. Reflecting on these six questions was a powerful exercise for me—like being on a retreat led by my inner black belt:

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1. Of the situations in your life that are on hold, which ones would you like to resolve?

This can be an apology that we have been hanging on to, or a necessary amendment in a relationship that we need to make. It is the dialogue or emotions hanging over us that have not been communicated or resolved, but it’s also actions that we have dropped and tried to forget about, like basements cluttered with junk, unpaid debts, and half-completed projects. According to Ferrucci, “Unsettled accounts drain our physic energy and sometimes spoil our relations with others. When we complete a commitment we had neglected, we feel lighter.

2. Does it seem that others try to control your will or take advantage of you?

When I first read this question, I laughed, because I don’t give people a chance to try control my will. I hand it over to them before they ask. Ferrucci says that the most direct way we develop our will in such cases is to affirm it. However, the trick is to do this without anger or wishing revenge. We have to practice on affirming our will in a way that is gentle and kind. I have learned how to do this by watching people I most admire like my mentor-guru, Mike Leach. The kindness that lives in his heart can’t help but spill over into his speech even when he is being firm about something that is important to him or navigating a tricky situation.

3. Which acts or attitudes would you like to reduce or get rid of?

We often think about inner will as the act of accomplishing something, but it can also involve inhibition—the act of NOT doing something, like drinking whiskey at night, binging on Krispy Kreme donuts, or cussing in front of our kids. Inhibition is different from repression, explains Ferrucci, because while repression is an unconscious act, inhibition is done with awareness.

4. Is there any habit you would like to activate?

A habit isn’t just one action. It’s a series of actions, which is why establishing them requires a lot of inner will. If you’re successful, over time they take place without special effort or attention. For example, the first time I drank a kale smoothie, I almost spit it back up with some other interesting things much like Stevie Starr (the Professional Regurgitator) does on America’s Got Talent (Uzeyer’s competition). However, a year later, I am downing two of these things a day and I can ALMOST say that I look forward to them. Habit successfully launched!

5. What are you afraid to do—or be?

Ferrucci writes:

If you had no fear, or shyness, or terror, what would you do that you are not doing now? What initiatives would you take if you had a bit more courage—and a bit less reverential fear? This is tricky terrain. It may involve moving out of your comfort zone. Exploring it can unleash much energy.

6. What new initiatives would you like to start?

You can begin very gradually. Just one first step. For example, a few months ago I decided to learn how to cook. Being the insecure and easily discouraged person I am, I knew I couldn’t compare myself to my twin sister who is a gourmet chef. Learning how to boil water was a leap in itself. Over time, by following a cookbook very carefully, I’ve learned how to prepare a few tasty, nutritious meals for the family each week. “What would you like to undertake in your life?” Ferrucci asks. A new sport, eating better, practicing yoga, speaking a foreign language, writing your story, or meeting new friends? It begins with the first step.

You have a lot of material now! Next write a list of possible acts of will that you can start to implement over the course of each day. For example, if you need closure on a relationship, think about a phone call to that person. Or maybe sending a card. Start to jot down a script or message of what you want to say. Then assign a time. If sleeping better is a goal, design some good sleep hygiene habits such as being in bed by 10 p.m., an agreement with yourself to not check email after 8 p.m., leaving your phone downstairs, reading from a printed book, not an iPad, once in bed. If you want the courage to stand up to a dismissive colleague, brainstorm about some scenarios or ways in which you might gently and kindly assert your will.

I do not wish to be like Uzeyer, so focused on a goal that I would risk my life to get there. However, his tenacity and inner will did inspire me—enough to do this exercise! I suspect my genetic make-up and long history with depression have weakened my inner will, so I’m encouraged by the research that says we can, in fact, train our will to be stronger.

We, too, can balance on 18-foot ladders.

Or not.

Join ProjectBeyondBlue.com, the new depression community.

Publishing originally on Sanity Break.

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Therese Borchard
I am a writer and chaplain trying to live a simple life in Annapolis, Maryland.

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2 Responses
  1. Great post! The idea that we can exercise and strengthen our will over time is very very encouraging. I’ll use that concept (and probably some of the six questions) with many of my clients that I see in the coming weeks. Keep up the good work and keep the posts coming!!

  2. DM

    I am soooo glad and very grateful, Therese, that you post twice. I thought this title sounded familiar, but when I began reading it a little while ago, I realized that I didn’t. With so much going on and dealing with depression and the like, I’d forgotten to read it the first time around.

    This is a really wonderful, thought-provoking post that I plan to print out and take with me to reflect on when I get back to my biweekly retreat days.

    I checked out some of Michael’s posts on NCR and he had me laughing.

    Thanks, again.

    Blessings!