Mastery
Have you ever heard someone comment that another person’s success was due to luck? Perhaps the classic statement that someone’s achievement is due to being born with a silver spoon in their mouth resonates with you. I have heard my father say many times that people like Bill Gates will go to hell, because he has more money than he needs. I have never agreed nor understood such limited thinking. Perhaps there is another way to view success in any area be it physical, mental, occupational, and even in relationships. This quote by James Altucher, an American hedge fund manager, entrepreneur and bestselling author, sets the tone for how we should view success, “Your competition is not other people but the time you kill, the ill will …show more content…
In the book Mastery, by George Leonard we are exposed to a different line of thinking that when applied will set the ground work for success in whatever venture you pursue. Though Mr. Leonard points out several ideas to conquer mediocrity or even failure, I am going to talk about two that spoke to me, particularly practice, and homeostasis.
When the word practice is mentioned the feelings of drudgery and pain are often evoked. That can be the case from time to time, but I think this is a matter of intent and paradigm. Mr. Leonard reminds us that success is a path or journey that we need to enjoy instead of trying to grab the brass ring as quickly as possible. That is definitely counter to the way our culture sees accomplishments. Think of our health or rather diet industry. Everyone needs to lose weight now, a quick loss, not a lifetime of healthy choices. How quick can I earn a degree, or job …show more content…
If the teacher rearranged the seating assignments, I would arrive at school the next morning not knowing where I was suppose to sit. I would be stressed and my mouth would break out in white patches that only a visit to the doctors could cure. This occurred because I was strange, and I liked things the way they were. Homeostasis or a system that regulates its environment and tends to maintain a stable, relatively constant condition can over throw your path to mastery. You’ve heard people say don’t rock the boat, well that’s an example of homeostasis. Whatever you do, don’t cause any disturbance, don’t try to change anything, don’t mess up the situation, don’t do anything drastic, keep things as they are, stay normal and calm, don’t make anyone upset. What implications does this have on the person who wants to get on the path to mastery? When you change your direction in life it shifts the lives of everyone around you, for good or bad. Some people just can’t take the changes in you, so they apply resistance. The example Mr. Leonard uses is one in which a family with an alcoholic father changes. The family used to have to put up with his binges, and that is what they were accustomed to. Now we know that one change in a system, even a family causes a change in all of its parts. Therefore in this case one of the children might act out negatively in order to maintain the chaos previously caused by the father. That
Have you ever heard someone comment that another person’s success was due to luck? Perhaps the classic statement that someone’s achievement is due to being born with a silver spoon in their mouth resonates with you. I have heard my father say many times that people like Bill Gates will go to hell, because he has more money than he needs. I have never agreed nor understood such limited thinking. Perhaps there is another way to view success in any area be it physical, mental, occupational, and even in relationships. This quote by James Altucher, an American hedge fund manager, entrepreneur and bestselling author, sets the tone for how we should view success, “Your competition is not other people but the time you kill, the ill will …show more content…
In the book Mastery, by George Leonard we are exposed to a different line of thinking that when applied will set the ground work for success in whatever venture you pursue. Though Mr. Leonard points out several ideas to conquer mediocrity or even failure, I am going to talk about two that spoke to me, particularly practice, and homeostasis.
When the word practice is mentioned the feelings of drudgery and pain are often evoked. That can be the case from time to time, but I think this is a matter of intent and paradigm. Mr. Leonard reminds us that success is a path or journey that we need to enjoy instead of trying to grab the brass ring as quickly as possible. That is definitely counter to the way our culture sees accomplishments. Think of our health or rather diet industry. Everyone needs to lose weight now, a quick loss, not a lifetime of healthy choices. How quick can I earn a degree, or job …show more content…
If the teacher rearranged the seating assignments, I would arrive at school the next morning not knowing where I was suppose to sit. I would be stressed and my mouth would break out in white patches that only a visit to the doctors could cure. This occurred because I was strange, and I liked things the way they were. Homeostasis or a system that regulates its environment and tends to maintain a stable, relatively constant condition can over throw your path to mastery. You’ve heard people say don’t rock the boat, well that’s an example of homeostasis. Whatever you do, don’t cause any disturbance, don’t try to change anything, don’t mess up the situation, don’t do anything drastic, keep things as they are, stay normal and calm, don’t make anyone upset. What implications does this have on the person who wants to get on the path to mastery? When you change your direction in life it shifts the lives of everyone around you, for good or bad. Some people just can’t take the changes in you, so they apply resistance. The example Mr. Leonard uses is one in which a family with an alcoholic father changes. The family used to have to put up with his binges, and that is what they were accustomed to. Now we know that one change in a system, even a family causes a change in all of its parts. Therefore in this case one of the children might act out negatively in order to maintain the chaos previously caused by the father. That