BEING A MASTER
You can become an excellent chef or cook. You need good recipes, patience and a little hard work. But you may not necessarily become Julia Child, Emeril Lagasse or Bobby Flay.
You can become a very good artist. You need some lessons on how to, some good supplies, patience and elbow grease. Bob Ross has certainly demonstrated the joys of painting and how easily you can achieve it. But you may not necessarily become DaVinci, Renoir or VanGoh.
You can learn how to sew and complete most of all your sewing needs. You need a good sewing machine, some thread, good patterns, fabric and a little know how. But you may not necessarily become Versace, Dior or Coco Chanel.
You can learn martial arts, become beyond proficient at your katas, your breaks, your one steps. You can win gold medals in tournaments. But you may not necessarily become Bruce Lee, Morihei Ueshiba, Gichin Funakoshi, Gene Lebell, Jigoro Kano or Masutatsu Oyama.
You may learn MMA, train hard, get in great shape and learn all the best moves. But you may not necessarily become George St Pierre or Randy Couture.
Where am I going with this? Anyone can learn to become accomplished at things. But to become a master at it is an entire different story. To learn basic techniques and become proficient with them will make you good at anything you apply yourself at. But the mastery comes from understanding the basic principles that lie beyond the techniques, from being able to see the building blocks and re-arrange them for the best possible outcome. It comes from the use of practical applications, knowing when theory needs to go out the window and when it’s time to adapt, re-adjust. You need to go beyond step by step instructions. But it is even more than true understanding. Anyone who has been there can testify how this flows right out of you, like you are only a conduit to the flow of energy, the inspiration, the passion within. You want to learn from a true master? First find someone who is passionate about what he/she does and has the courage to follow this passion.
I strongly believe that most everyone is meant to become a master at something. But I also strongly believe that most everyone will never achieve this level. Is it out of laziness? Fear? Lack of courage, determination, passion? It’s hard to say since so many factors can be involved. Don’t let the little voices talk you out of living your passion. Listen to your heart. It may not be easy but it certainly is worth the prize at the end of the road and the treasures you will accumulate along the way.
