Hearing the word will, some think of an internal force like the will to live! They relate it to a sense of emergency and can see how people may access will in times of danger or great need.
Others think of will as something we don’t all have the same amount of and in order to use will or be willing, we’ve got to strengthen something like courage, faith or commitment.
The truth is that will is a naturally occurring characteristic of every human being. Will is more than a drive or motivation to act and will is NOT a singular quality. According Roberto Assagioli, the originator of a discipline called Psychosynthesis, human will has three aspects that when combined together make it whole.
Whole human will is made up of strong will, skillful will and good will.
Why are we talking about this now?
Having made it through the “New Year”, with 11 months ahead of us, a good dose of will is likely to help us create the experiences and outcomes we want to achieve. Without will, we can be subject to getting caught up in our emotional experiences, such as doubt, and stop ourselves before we ever begin. Or we may spin with thoughts of plans that we don’t know “how” to make happen thus never getting ourselves to a point of action.
So, let’s look at the three kinds of will and how knowing about them can support you. As I said above, whole human will is made up of strong will, skillful will and good will.
Strong will is the ability to follow through, stick with and carry forward to completion. Skillful will is the ability to discern what is best for us to commit to. Good will is there to make sure that the choices we make and how we carry them out, create a positive impact beyond ourselves. The best part about looking at types of will is that you can identify which is easier for you and which type has room for improvement. Any time you make a distinction that helps you know where work is needed, it becomes easier to empower change in the area where you need it most!
At a glance, which type of will feels the most comfortable or natural for you?
And which will can you recognize as not being your go to type?
Let’s Get Cooking!
One of my favorite perspectives of will comes from the book Growing Whole: Exploring the Wilderness Within, by Molly Young Brown. Her description of will gives it a fluidity and availability that makes channeling your will seem as easy as driving a car.
For Brown, will is like a steering wheel. It is “not simply bulldozing our way along”. Instead, will helps us “skillfully move over, under and around obstacles in our path, or change course altogether” (Brown, Growing Whole Study Guide, p. 6).
To apply these theories to your life, start by noticing which kind of will you are using to complete a specific action or task. Is it a strong will that may feel something like commitment? Is it a skillful will focused on completing first things first? Or a good will confirming for you that what you’ve chosen is best because you see and feel the positive impact it has on others?
Your will and how you use it, have a big influence on your motivation, choices and consistent actions. Enjoy exploring your will and learn about the ways in which you are most willing!
Sending You Big Love,
Coach Jen
The Move Strong Method™ is deeply rooted in transpersonal psychology practices of which psychosynthesis and the art and execution of WILL is just one. Visit our website to learn more and download your free gift on our home page at https://movestrongmethod.com/ or contact us here https://movestrongmethod.com/contact/ to request your free coaching exercise.
