Mastery notes

[Scarecrow]

 

MASTERY by George Leonard

 

Mastery is available to anyone who is willing to get on the path and stay on it- regardless of age, sex, or previous experience

 

The world can be viewed as a prodigious conspiracy against mastery 

 

There's a seemingly endless road ahead of you with numerous setbacks along the way and most importantly plenty of time on the plateau, where long hours of deliberate practice gain your no apparent progress at all

 

We sometimes choose a course of action that brings only the illusion of accomplishment

 

All of us that were born without serious genetic defects are born geniuses

 

You have to be willing to spend most of your time on the plateau, to keep practicing even when you seem to be getting nowhere

 

Practice primarily for the sake of practice itself 

 

The master of any game is generally the master of practice

 

Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water

 

Always training. More time on the plateau: the never-ending path again

 

Our body, brain, and behavior have a tendency to want to stay the same (homeostasis)

 

Expect resistance and backlash

 

Might also experience resistance from family and friends

 

Also requires a deep determination to keep pushing

 

Dedicate yourself to lifelong learning

 

The path never ends

 

Those people who feel good about themselves, who are in touch with nature and their own bodies, are more likely to use their energy for the good of this planet.

 

Move, and keep moving

 

When you reach the top of the mountain, keep climbing

 

Winning graciously, and losing just as graciously are the marks of a master

 

Without laughter, the rocky places on the path might be too painful to bear

 

To learn something new you have to be willing to look foolish. Even after years of practice you still take pratfalls

 

The master is one who stays on the path day after day, year after year. The master is the one who is willing to try, and fail and fail again. As long as they live

 

Above all, don't hurry

 

Focus on the process, not the product