This is part of a series exploring the seven lower Sephirot (spheres) of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. These spheres are the seven core emotions that drive human interaction.
This week we are exploring the sphere of Netzach, which is the trait of enduring action.
how do you endure
create structure for your flow
act within constraints
enduring action
requires whole life harmony
honor all your needs
The most important things we do in life are marathons, not sprints. Gevurah of Netzach and Tiferet of Netzach offer two keys to sustaining action over time.
These concepts can be esoteric but they are also tangible and practical. Here’s a look at how these traits are showing up in my life, both in healthy and unhealthy ways.
(1) Create Structure for Flow
In an effort to get out of stagnancy in my workouts, I recently started attending a class at a local CrossFit gym that is a mix of functional strength training and high-intensity interval training.
The class pushes me to my edge in terms of both strength and endurance. I often want to give up in the middle of a round. But I don’t because I’m supported by the structure.
- the timed intervals
- the coach who is shouting encouragement
- the other participants in the class
This gives me the structure to push through in a healthy way. I’m not going to quit while the people around me are still going. I know I can endure for another 10 seconds. As a result, I emerge on the other side feeling victorious and with a boost in my confidence and energy.
This is an example of a healthy Gevurah of Netzach: creating a supportive structure that helps me achieve my long term goal of improving my physical vitality.
(2) Preserve Harmony in Endurance
In contrast, my current writing and blogging practices are an example of unhealthy Netzach. The structure around my writing practices has fallen apart lately.
Current commitments and my living conditions have disrupted my ideal rhythms and the space I need for writing and creating. I’m unable to leverage my morning rituals to get into flow in my work.
The only time of day I have been able to create without interruption has been in the time frame of 1–3 am.
This is not ideal for my best work, it’s not sustainable, and it throws the other parts of my life into disharmony.
Pulling late nights may be doable for short bursts, but it’s not sustainable over the long term.
My persistence in maintaining a daily blog is therefore working against me. I’m enduring, because it’s not my nature to quit. But this endurance is driven by obsession and resistance to letting go. It comes at the expense of my health and well-being.
This is an example of unhealthy Tiferet of Netzach.
The pursuit of one mission can’t come at the expense of other parts of life.
The question I find myself asking lately is:
Do I really want to sacrifice my health or relationships or other aspects of my life to publish a daily blog? Is this what I want my legacy to be?
In order to bring everything into harmony, (the realm of Tiferet), I must create a more supportive structure (Gevurah). This includes setting stronger boundaries around my creating time. It also includes finding spaces that are more conducive to the energy I need for my deep work time.
It’s clear that something needs to change. Likely more than one thing.
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