On Mastery
Reflections on George Leonard's Mastery
5 Keys to Mastery:
Surrender to your passion: Everyone has the capacity for greatness. God doesn't give this to only a few. It's up to you to wake up to it. Figure out what it is that you love. What is it that you want to do with your life? What is your calling? Be an open vessel. Whatever you shut down, you shut down in life. Careful not to spend your time with others who have surrendered their passions and spend their time drinking beers and commiserating about what could have been. You've gotta risk and take a chance. You may fall on your face, but you need to have the knowledge that you can get back up. Seek to understand what you don't know. Crystallize your existence! As you gain success, the people around you will become jealous, resentful. Your passion becomes your true friend.
Practice, Practice, Practice: Talent is important, but nearly as important as practice. Bee tenacious, and don't give up when you fail. See this as practice. It won't feel like learning, because the progress isn't evident. Don't mistake progress for learning. Learn to love the plateau because you know this is preparing you for the rise. Take your ideas seriously. try to develop them ion your own head. To be critical and not fall in love with your ideas. Everything brings you closer to your dreams - its a mindset! Most people take the path of least resistance. They accept that what has happened to them will continue to happen to them. The real champions are the ones that turn their obstacles into fuel for their journey. Raw Willingness! People who work hard are doing it wrong. I like to think that my play just takes me longer to achieve than I realize. Dedicated! What are you dedicated to? Be willing to look foolish. You often get to a point where you don't know where to go, the opportunity is to continue to show up.
Get a guide: You certainly don't want to practice doing the wrong thing, or doing the thing wrong. If you take from one, its called stealing. If you take from many, its called research....then you spend time in the dark, shedding it away to reveal yourself. Who believes in you and challenges you? You don't want a guru, you are the ultimate authority on your own practice. Surround yourself with teachers, not employees. Who will you inspire? Who will you guide?
Visualize the outcome: Make it real in your mind. Don't wish for the future, visualize it. The opportunity is to allow your consciousness to merge with the real world. Don't visualize what you'd "like to have happen."; because what you'll get is liking to have to it happen. Visualize it happening! Don't visualize how it will happen...visualize the outcome. You'll know you're operating there when your hair stands up...
Play the edge: always go beyond what you've done before, and perhaps beyond what others have done. Comfort is the enemy! Let down your walls. Face your ugly truths. Crank it up to levels unknown. The biggest mistakes people make, their stakes are too low (don't be driven by your greatest fear). There are times when I feel like nothing can stop me.