Mastery

Learning is a lifelong process. No matter what our field, there is always more to learn. Learning is a continuous journey on the path to mastery. George Leonard, in his book Mastery, describes this process as “dedicated effort without attachment to immediate results….”

The key to mastery is patience. The practitioner takes on a discipline for its own sake, not for the achievement of some goal. Results are a by-product of a steady dedication. The enemy of mastery, says Leonard, is the obsessive pursuit of climactic moments. The insatiable appetite for titillation fostered by American culture is the antithesis of the diligence required for the long-term journey to mastery.

Leonard identifies five master keys for those serious about establishing a long-term practice. The first is instruction. Find a teacher from whom to learn. Seek out books, tapes, films, workshops on your topic of interest. Key two is practice, the pursuit of a discipline for its own sake.

The third key is surrender; giving yourself to the demands of your discipline. Surrender also refers to letting go of hard-won competencies in order to move on to the next stage of growth. To surrender is to be perpetually in the role of a learner.

The fourth master key is intentionality. Thoughts, images, and feelings are fused in mental rehearsal. As Leonard says, “Every master is a master of vision.”

The last key is what Leonard calls the Edge. While masters are dedicated to the fundamentals of their calling, they also are moved to challenge its limits. The path of mastery takes the practitioner to the edge of his or her being. Mastery is taking the next step beyond that edge.

To get to that point requires long-term dedication, openness to learning, and support from those who have gone before. The path of mastery involves an ongoing journey of learning, growth, and challenge. It is life.