I will check out the article you linked, John. And I can see music being one of your passions. In one of your posts (perhaps the one on which I commented), you linked a Youtube video by Ren (of whom I had never heard) and said it was the most creative thing to which you listened recently. It made me curious, so I clicked, and boy was it good. I listened to it two or three times and then to other songs by the same artist. Thank you for that!
Yes, he's a fascinating artist. Be sure to check out his trilogy called The Tale of Jenny and Screech (in the correct order) if you've not already seen it. It's an amazing performance, deep subject matter.
One thing you did not mention is: _Why_ would one adopt an attitude of mastery? I think what’s really helpful in learning (or acquiring mastery) is that the learner have an emotional connection to the learning path that’s ahead. The learner has to connect the path to some area in his/her life that she is passionate about, and that passion can serve as a driver through the slog you have talked about. For example, we have five dimmer switches in our house, lined up in a row. It’s been a decade since their installation, and I still can’t remember which switch powers which light. Simply because it does not interest me. It used to aggravate my spouse, but appeasing him is not the kind of incentive that works for me. In the same time frame I have taught myself the art of plant-based cooking, DSLR photography, Spanish, plant identification and a few other things, simply because these skills connect to something that’s deeply important to me.
That's a great point. The specific domains in which we might wish to pursue mastery seem to be highly subjective to each person, but each person's path of mastery is coloured with similar attributes - power, beauty, and meaning - and by 'power' I'm speaking of power-within and power-to create rather than power-over others. It feels to me like these are common human drives that give us purpose on our pursuits. Many of us go through life without finding our true calling of plant-based cooking, photography, Spanish and identifying plants. My calling seems to be music, my personal health, and exploring human nature. I'm no expert at any of these things - just ordinary - but it's where I find meaning and purpose - aside from raising my family. My pursuits of mastery have been a bedrock for getting through the bad times in life, and often the very source of the good times. The power, beauty and meaning aspects of mastery for me almost put me in touch with the divine - seeing a beautiful painting, reading beautiful prose, listening to beautiful music that falls from the fingers of someone who has dedicated countless hours to their craft...
I wrote a piece about discovering our calling in life, and unfolding to our potential which goes some way to exploring the why of mastery (https://ordinarymastery.substack.com/p/aspirations), and I guess this whole project for me is a personal exploration into the why
You appeal to the ordinary is analogous to a conversation that I am having with my publisher. I'm a leadership guy, and am preparing a revision of my first book, Circle of Impact, for an Africa audience. For the three years that we have been working on the book the title was Circle of Impact Africa. We have just now decided to name it, "You Have Everything That You Need." I believe this is a good starting point for mastery. It isn't just believing in yourself. It is believing at such a level that you are willing to take action. It is why I believe that "all leadership begins with personal initiative to create impact that makes a difference that matters." This is a starting point for mastery I am convinced. Thanks for taking the initiative to write "Ordinary Mastery."
'You Have Everything That You Need' is such an empowering phrase, both reassuring and resourceful - it aligns with the idea of 'unfolding' towards one's potential - it's already there but just needs to be accessed. It's a very optimistic sentiment, contrasting with the 'you are not enough' messaging that is more prevalent.
Thanks for your thoughts Ed and all the best with the book.
I will check out the article you linked, John. And I can see music being one of your passions. In one of your posts (perhaps the one on which I commented), you linked a Youtube video by Ren (of whom I had never heard) and said it was the most creative thing to which you listened recently. It made me curious, so I clicked, and boy was it good. I listened to it two or three times and then to other songs by the same artist. Thank you for that!
Yes, he's a fascinating artist. Be sure to check out his trilogy called The Tale of Jenny and Screech (in the correct order) if you've not already seen it. It's an amazing performance, deep subject matter.
One thing you did not mention is: _Why_ would one adopt an attitude of mastery? I think what’s really helpful in learning (or acquiring mastery) is that the learner have an emotional connection to the learning path that’s ahead. The learner has to connect the path to some area in his/her life that she is passionate about, and that passion can serve as a driver through the slog you have talked about. For example, we have five dimmer switches in our house, lined up in a row. It’s been a decade since their installation, and I still can’t remember which switch powers which light. Simply because it does not interest me. It used to aggravate my spouse, but appeasing him is not the kind of incentive that works for me. In the same time frame I have taught myself the art of plant-based cooking, DSLR photography, Spanish, plant identification and a few other things, simply because these skills connect to something that’s deeply important to me.
That's a great point. The specific domains in which we might wish to pursue mastery seem to be highly subjective to each person, but each person's path of mastery is coloured with similar attributes - power, beauty, and meaning - and by 'power' I'm speaking of power-within and power-to create rather than power-over others. It feels to me like these are common human drives that give us purpose on our pursuits. Many of us go through life without finding our true calling of plant-based cooking, photography, Spanish and identifying plants. My calling seems to be music, my personal health, and exploring human nature. I'm no expert at any of these things - just ordinary - but it's where I find meaning and purpose - aside from raising my family. My pursuits of mastery have been a bedrock for getting through the bad times in life, and often the very source of the good times. The power, beauty and meaning aspects of mastery for me almost put me in touch with the divine - seeing a beautiful painting, reading beautiful prose, listening to beautiful music that falls from the fingers of someone who has dedicated countless hours to their craft...
I wrote a piece about discovering our calling in life, and unfolding to our potential which goes some way to exploring the why of mastery (https://ordinarymastery.substack.com/p/aspirations), and I guess this whole project for me is a personal exploration into the why
You appeal to the ordinary is analogous to a conversation that I am having with my publisher. I'm a leadership guy, and am preparing a revision of my first book, Circle of Impact, for an Africa audience. For the three years that we have been working on the book the title was Circle of Impact Africa. We have just now decided to name it, "You Have Everything That You Need." I believe this is a good starting point for mastery. It isn't just believing in yourself. It is believing at such a level that you are willing to take action. It is why I believe that "all leadership begins with personal initiative to create impact that makes a difference that matters." This is a starting point for mastery I am convinced. Thanks for taking the initiative to write "Ordinary Mastery."
'You Have Everything That You Need' is such an empowering phrase, both reassuring and resourceful - it aligns with the idea of 'unfolding' towards one's potential - it's already there but just needs to be accessed. It's a very optimistic sentiment, contrasting with the 'you are not enough' messaging that is more prevalent.
Thanks for your thoughts Ed and all the best with the book.
Thank you, John. Same with you on your Substack.