Saturday, February 21, 2009

Mastery is ...

From Carmen  Matthews's Amazon review of Mastery, by George Leonard:
Mastery is:
  1. The process where what was difficult becomes both easier and more pleasurable; 
  2. Long-term dedication to the journey - not the bottom line; 
  3. Gaining mental discipline to travel further on your journey; 
  4. Being goalless; 
  5. Realizing that the pleasure of practice is intensified; 
  6. Creating deep roots; 
  7. Knowing that you will never reach a final destination; 
  8. Being diligent with the process of mastery; 
  9. Your commitment to hone your skills; 
  10. After you have reached the top of the mountain, climb  another one; 
  11. Being willing to practice, even when you seem to be getting no where; 
  12. Making this a life process; 
  13. Being patient, while you apply long-term efforts; 
  14. Appreciating and even enjoying the plateau, as much as you do the progress; 
  15. Practicing for the sake of practice; 
  16. Winning graciously, and losing with equal grace; 
  17. Placing practice, discipline, conditioning and character development before winning; 
  18. Being courageous; 
  19. Being fully in the present moment; 
  20. Realizing that the ultimate goal is not the medal, or the ribbon, but the path to mastery its self (The "I am" stage); 
  21. Being willing to look foolish; 
  22. Maintaining flexibility in your strategy, and in your actions; 
  23. A journey; and, 
  24. Determination 
Apply this to everything in your life, to claim your authentic self.
I think that that material would make a great inspirational poster, in the spirit of How to be an Artist.

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