
If you want to win, you’ve got to play the long game.
This requires going at a pace you can sustain.
This is the essence of Netzach, the fourth of seven of the lower sephirot, or spheres, that comprise the Kabbalah Tree of Life framework.
Before we get into Netzach, a quick review of where we’ve been:
We started with Chesed, the quality of being open and present, of welcoming in all parts of our experience.
Gevurah is the quality of strength by restriction. Gevurah provides the structure in which Chesed can flow. This is where we set boundaries and hold space.
Tiferet mediates between Chesed and Gevurah. This is the aspect of weaving together seemingly disparate elements to create a third thing that never could have existed without the polarity of the first two.
The Realm of Action
Netzach translates to both “victory” and “eternity.”
The quality of Netzach speaks to our ability to continually take action towards long-term goals.
At Netzach we move from the realm of ideas to the realm of action.
Netzach corresponds to the planet Mars, the warrior planet that drives our actions and ambitions.
Netzach is not about one-time massive action or instant gratification, however.
Netzach always looks at action in service of a larger vision. This is about playing the long game.
The action we take at Netzach must be purposeful, meaningful, and sustainable.
This is about small daily actions repeated over time.
What’s Doable vs What’s Sustainable
In weightlifting, there’s often a big difference between the weight you can lift as a “1-rep max” and a weight you can sustain for a high volume of reps.
Netzach is about the high volume reps.
If we want to create and build something that will endure, we must build it in a way that is sustainable and sustaining for us.
Navigating Obstacles
Netzach is also the realm in which we navigate the obstacles — both internal and external — that will inevitably arise along the way.
There are three crucial qualities to Netzach:
(1) Persistence
(2) Perseverance
(3) Patience
Mapping to the Body
When we map the Tree of Life to the body, Netzach corresponds to the right hip/leg/foot. The right leg is the leg that “steps out into the world.”
Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Don't hold back...