Rolling-Resistance Part 2: Struggle for Intrinsic Motivation

Credits:
Photo, Helen’s Place LLC AI Generated. Rolling-resistance: Remember Walt Whitman, and question what you see and hear; don’t give in to worry or fear.

Helen’s Place LLC Update November 2, 2025

Rolling-Resistance

The article, “Rolling-Resistance Part 1: TACSS Initiative,” published August 31, 2025, discussed The American Cultural Survival System (TACSS) initiative saying that “it’s time to get down to brass tacks: tell the truth, roll with the punches, and let the chips fall where they may.”

This article – Part 2 of rolling-resistance – is about the internal struggle for intrinsic motivation.

Overcoming Obstacles

In some ways it’s harder to talk about the internal aspects of rolling resistance than about external aspects, because it’s not easy to be an American in a free society – especially during periods of unrest when American identity appears to keep shifting or redefining itself. American society is currently in an unstable, rocky place – which collectively is of its own making, but still hard.

This is why we have to – as individuals with our own minds – hang on to what we’re FOR more than against, and resist being thrown off track. And even when we do get knocked off our path, we have to get back on it and keep going.

To survive mentally and physically in America these days, requires keeping supersonic wits about us. We know that the alternative could mean ending up on the street if we don’t have a social safety net of family and friends to take us in.

Understanding and Making the Most of One’s Survival Instincts

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs pyramid, posted on Wikipedia, shows higher order thinking and lower order thinking. It’s been used for years by educators and psychologists, but everyone might find this useful to gain perspective of what a human being is up against:

For many people working multiple jobs to survive, or living on the street after losing everything, survival instincts take over and a person must work hard to get stabilized before they can move up. For example, it would be nearly impossible to experience how beautiful the ocean is if the boat you were on was sinking. In this analogy, the boat you’re on is real life.

This is also true for people who are so busy taking care of others that they don’t take care of themselves – forgetting the rule that you have to put on your oxygen mask first before helping others put on theirs. Caregivers get so tired and burned out that they often give up on themselves entirely.

But for most people, the lesson is that perhaps they could steer the boat better by trying something else ranging from a new job or a different angle – like getting help if you’re a caregiver. However, if this is not possible, it’s helpful just to acknowledge that you’re in the middle of a shit-storm. Remain determined to keep move forward until you can work your way out of it or circumstances change.

The Americans Most At Risk During Hard Times

People with self-awareness struggle, but those without it are more likely to get in trouble because they may not be paying attention when the outcome of their life depends on it. Those with little or no curiosity about what’s going on outside of their mundane lives may make faulty, illogical choices, and find themselves drifting.

Sadly, sometimes malaise, sets in for people who don’t make an effort to figure out how they fit into the world. In fact, stories abound of floundering young or old people spending hours scrolling on TikTok or talking to chatbots, which illustrates the result of what happens to people like this.

The reality is that those without the drive and skills to navigate around obstacles, often limit their efforts without realizing it, and never get off the ground. Even if they manage to survive financially, they may feel that they didn’t find their calling or reach their full potential. Some say, “why bother?”

The Higher Power

For people with an interest, it’s possible to focus on learning to live from the inside out rather than the outside in; to be a self-directed person – regardless of the circumstances one finds oneself in.

A self-directed person will break through whatever personal struggles they face in their personality such as lack of self-confidence. This is because, the core of every person is not their personality. As Jesus said in Luke 17:21, “the kingdom of heaven lies within you,” so this leaves a vast universe within oneself to draw from – whether one is willing or able to experience it.

As Walt Whitman said in “Poem of Joys:”

“O, while I live, to be the ruler of life,

not a slave,

to meet life as a powerful conqueror…

and nothing exterior to me shall ever take command of me.”

This is not some abstract concept or affirmation, but one’s birthright as a human being.

Embodiment of Intrinsic Motivation

Those who seek the truth know that a lot of the time they actually have the power to triumph over whatever circumstances they find themselves in. It’s possible to train one’s brain not to give in to fight or flight mode, but instead to use it as a motivator to blast through or find work arounds to situations or roadblocks.

It’s an orientation of fearlessness to learn to resist.

Andrew Young, Civil Rights Activist, is an example of an American who did this all his life. The documentary, “Dirty Work” explains how and why he did this, and is important for all Americans to watch.

Additionally, a passage from Frank Herbert’s book Dune has a Litany Against Fear which is also important.

The actual quote is “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

Numerous interpretations of the meaning of the Litany Against Fear exist. Paraphrased, a simpler version is:

Fear is the mind-killer, I will face my fear.

I will let it pass over me and through me,

And when it is gone, only I will remain.

Personal Struggle for Intrinsic Motivation

For everyone there are times when what’s going on in the outside world or inner struggle, is so dire that we forget and lose connections to ourselves for a while – aimlessly engaged in this or that that snags our attention. Hopefully, it won’t last long and we’ll get back on track because of the intrinsic foundation we’ve already established.

We have to resist inertia in our own selves and ask, “What’s holding me back? Why can’t I make a decision or move forward? Why do I feel like I’m pinned under a rock?”

When we feel like this it’s good to go back to basics, and remember what Stephen Covey so famously said, “begin with the end in mind.”

This is when having a list made during better times – of important things we want to accomplish – comes in handy. We can ask ourselves, “what would I be doing right now if I were my better self?” Even picking one item from the list and acting on it can break the cycle of inertia.

Young people, have an especially difficult time deciding what they want to do, or what they’re for or against, so retreat into themselves.

But those willing to stay out there, at least part of the time – to listen to people from different walks of life as well as try out a variety of jobs, have a smoother path to figure out – through a process of elimination and discovery – how to live from the inside out with a clearer vision of who they are and their place in the world.

It’s possible that we all can learn that there’s nothing wrong with entertainment in social media, video games, or TV shows. However – it can’t replace soul-fulfilling participation in life. This is why we watch a sunset, the birds flying, write something, engage in a deep conversation with a friend, sing, dance, join a group to protest an injustice, or simply make something.

We should want to put the social media and AI apps down – to go take a walk, for example – knowing that this is what we need to do for our health and well-being: unify mind, body, and spirit in ourselves.

We know that staying in balance is important, sometimes a challenge, and may even require that we cast off soul-crushing relationships – even with good people, but who aren’t good for us – because their actions make us feel disconnected from ourselves.

Conclusion

Have faith. Yes, we can work through and deal with pain – even when there’s no end in sight. Perhaps suffering is just the human condition that we all experience as human beings living in the real world.

Most people have fears, distractions and personal daemons, – but the more we practice constructive action, the easier and more automatic it becomes. Over time we can train ourselves to stop reacting and start choosing how we’re going to navigate around the obstacles we face.

We must hold fast to the notion that we have the opportunity to resist the forces and influences against us, including being undone by people telling us we can’t do something when we can.

Additional Transcript:

The entire poem, can be read in the correct spelling at the Walt Whitman Archive, whitmanarchive.org:

Walt Whitman, Poem of Joys from the Whitman Archive.

Related audio/video recording:

Bruce Springsteen opened his tour in Manchester, England on May 14, 2025 with a message for America, warning that Americans must resist the authoritarian regime attempting to take over: