Article: The Path to Mastery

The Path To Mastery

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” Wise words from humorist Will Rogers.

How many times have you resolved to undertake some practice to better your life? Perhaps you decided to meditate each morning, practice yoga, eat healthier, jog, or establish a family Sabbath ritual. Whatever the discipline, you recognized the benefits to be had and were motivated to get on the right track. But soon you found yourself just sitting there, still promising to implement that new behavior but never getting around to moving on it.

Author George Leonard in his book Mastery describes three types of starters who never finish. There is the Dabbler, who starts each new activity with enormous enthusiasm. Early progress fuels the Dabbler’s excitement. As soon as progress slows, though, the Dabbler becomes bored and is off searching for some new diversion.

A second type is the Obsessive. This individual is after quick results. The Obsessive is willing to give all to achieve the desired results and will push relentlessly until they burnout.

The third non-finisher is the Hacker. This is the person who goes through the motions but is not committed to what it takes to progress. The Hacker is content to remain a novice.

There is a fourth approach—mastery—what Leonard describes as “the patient path, 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 a continuous journey of learning, growth, and challenge. It is life.