Technique Vs Mastery

[Smarky]

We all spend a lot of time being impressed by folks we’ve never met.
Somebody featured in the media who is runs a big company, a big product, a big movie, a big bestseller or maybe just a large personality. We have it thrown down our throats in this media centric world we live in and we want apiece of it for ourselves whatever it may be.

So we spend even more time trying unsuccessfully to keep up with them. Trying to start up our own companies, our own products, our own film projects, books and whatnot. Trying lots of different things and looking to our “hero’s” for guidance on how exactly we may achieve this.

So if we start to study success and look at what it is that makes these people, exactly the people we are trying to be. We set of on a wonderful journey of learning which we believe will lead us to Mastery and the desired outcome. Yet what it leads us to is confusion. If you read, study and watch closely enough you will learn to set huge goals, say affirmations and work really hard! Then if you read, study and watch even more you will learn to be more realistic, as setting large goals is a bad idea, affirmations don’t work and hard work is not the answer. The more you study, the more you become confused, the more you search and learn the more lost you become.

A good way to learn is from what works, so lets look at what has worked for the type of people that have what you want. If you study it in enough detail you will find plenty of opposites and if your lucky maybe some consistencies. Then there are the self development guru’s that hound you with infomercials, yes they may have more cheese than the ultra super supreme cheese pizza, but these guys too are successful, so why not learn from them?

So have you studied like a good little puppet? Good! Now it is time to hit your head against the wall, which way is it, one person says go left, one person says go right, you are stuck. Who is telling the truth? Who is lying and why? And what if they are all telling the truth?

Okay we need to step back for a moment. Let’s examine truth, what exactly is it? And how can two exact opposites be true? The answer when dealing with this type of truth is that it is all relative, a personal truth is entirely dependent on the person telling it. Ask two people what is the best way to ride a rollercoaster and get two different responses, both different, both true (for that person).

Someone who loves rollercoaster’s may say, open your eyes wide, scream out loud with all your might and stretch your arms as high in the air as you can.

Someone who hates and fears rollercoaster’s will tell you, close your eyes, hold tight and think other happy thoughts.

So when looking at these successful people, what we are hearing and seeing is there truth, which is not the same as yours. Then what we are trying to do is copy someone else’s truth while ignoring our own. True some people will be successful with this and some won’t. If it works for you, it will take hard work and it will never really leave you truly happy. However most people will realize this is not for them and give up, but mistakenly assume success is not for them, or they are just a loser for not being able to take a certain technique or method and make it work.

So if this is not the answer, then what is?

We’ll call this method “Technique” as it is about doing and doing something a certain way. What I would like to suggest is that something which you may not see so clearly or have read about that makes the real difference.

This is what we’ll call mastery. Mastery is about being, Technique is about doing.

Mastery is about finding yourself and your purpose in life, having a direction you want to move in and not trying to be anyone else in the process. Being true to yourself with every single fibre of your being. The technique comes naturally as a result of the mastery. Too many people are trying to obtain mastery through technique.

If you take something you like and decide to have that for yourself by copying someone else, go ahead. You will have many hard, long years in front of you and you won’t be doing it for the joy of it, you’ll be doing it for some other reason, the work will be even longer and far more painful. What makes there work something you admire is that it is coming from there own source of mastery, there complete being, that is who they are. When you come along and try to copy that, you try to bring it into ‘do’ingness’ and your work will never have the edge of a true master.

You where born original, quit trying to be a copy. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t let others inspire you, but you need to learn how to use your own voice and make it your own. The only people who can change the world are people who want to. And not everybody does.

[Kevin Givens]

Mastery is about finding yourself and your purpose in life, having a direction you want to move in and not trying to be anyone else in the process.

How do you presume we do that? Or more specifically, what "technique" should I use to attain "mastery". Or should I not try to attain mastery because I need to be different? Now my head hurts.

[jwz]

Smarky, great post.
While I was walking on the path of my life you made me stop and realize the EASY and ONLY RIGHT way for me to do things.
It takes extra effort doing things the way others would do them instead of doing it your own way, using your own idea.

Thanks.