James Beale
Bristol, England
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Hello Peter,
I was watching a program last night which was criticizing the growing number of c-list celebrities in Britain who are famous for being famous. Kind of an easy shot to take, I know, but these people (big
brother contestants, glamour models and so on) were presented in contrast to some people who had reached the top of their profession. Most of these were in the entertainment industry, some were sports men and women.
It made me think of something you said (or wrote in the anthology, I think) about mastering things.
The gist of it was, I think, that it asked when was the reader going to choose to master something, and really, what else was there to do? I can see in some of the people I know a drive to be the best at various things, but I have never been really interested in achieving mastery of anything. I have always wanted to be pretty good, and that's enough. In fact, I have said before that my biggest complaint with life is that it takes too long to get good at anything. But this leaves me now with the impression that I am missing something. I am trying to work out what it is that makes the difference.
Of course there are countless people who attempt to be the best and fail, and I am not wondering how to become good at something. I am wondering what it is that creates that drive. You said the best
way to get good at something is to be obsessed by it, but you also said that an alternative was to be extremely disciplined. So obsession is not something which discipline instills, but something else. I think perhaps I would like to avoid being the best at a thing which would invite jealousy and competition. I know I can work hard at things when I am motivated to do so. I don't think obsession is of the same nature as inspiration. I would like to know what you think.
James
James,
Sounds like you are afraid of something. You say you want to avoid jealously and competition. Sounds good on the surface. Who wants those things? But what are you afraid of? Perhaps that is a place to investigate, or master. You could master egg poaching for all it matters. The point is to do something for yourself and also beyond yourself, something that draws your relationship to life out into its true nature. What it is hardly matters. And if you "master" something, of course it's possible that others may be jealous or compete, but you don't have to evoke either. You could master your own mind, perhaps starting with this thing you are afraid of.
When I said be disciplined or get obsessed, I meant that when you are obsessed with something,
whole heartedly into it, curious about it, pursuing it with the burning desire or single-minded intent to get to the truth of it, a sort of natural discipline arises. It isn't really discipline, since there is no application of a discipline, but what needs to get done gets done as a result of the obsession to know or achieve or discover. If you lack the motivation of obsession, but still want to achieving mastery, or want to know the truth of some matter, or want to pursue any new course of action that is not already occurring for you, then you must apply a disciplined application of regular inquiry or practice. Discipline is pursuing a possibility outside of what already befalls you. Either discipline or obsession can move you forward in some pursuit. Just remember, the pursuit itself should be rewarding, not just the final goal. So go poach an egg.
Good luck.
Peter
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