Mastery

Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment
George Leonard

Here are some quotes from a book we recently read:

“The modern world, in fact, can be viewed as a prodigious conspiracy against mastery”

“Every time we spend money, we make a statement about what we value.”

“for there’s perhaps no more dangerous time for any society than its moment of greatest triumph”

“If our life is a good one, a life of mastery, most of it will be spent on the plateau”

“practicing regularly and hard for no particular goal at all, just for its own sake”

“When you discover you own desire, you’re not going to wait for other people to find solutions to your problems.”

“it’s important to keep the proper distance…if you come too close, you lose all perspective and become a disciple rather than a student.”

“The people we know as masters don’t devote themselves to their particular skill just to get better at it.”

“’The master,’ as an old martial arts saying goes, ‘is the one who stays on the mat five minutes longer than anybody else.”

“’How long will it take me to master aikido?’ a prospective student asks, ‘How long do you expect to live?’”

“At the heart of it, mastery is the practice. Mastery is staying on the path.”

“Every one of us resists significant change, no matter whether it’s for the worse or for the better”

“tremendous resistance, it is because it’s either a tremendously bad idea or a tremendously good idea.”

“Simply pushing your way through despite the warning signals increases the possibility of backsliding.”

“If you want to get something done, ask a busy person to do it.”

“A human being is the kind of machine that wears out from lack of use.”

“We gain energy by using energy.”

“Our generation has been raised on the idea of keeping you options open. But if you keep all your options open, you can’t do a damned thing’ it’s a problem: how can any one option, any one goal, match up to the possibilities contained in all others?”

“Indecision leads to inaction, which leads to low energy, depression, despair.”

“Set priorities by dividing the items into A, B, and C categories. At the least, accomplish the A items.”

“Those who sign late suffer from having less time in which to enjoy the energy that flows form commitment.”

“being conscious”

“to learn something new of any significance, you have to be willing to look foolish.”

“The person who can vacuum an entire house without once losing his or her composure, staying balanced, centered, and focused on the process rather than pressing impatiently for completion, is a person who knows something about mastery.”

“you also have to work, and generally work even more diligently, to achieve mastery in relationships.”

“Whatever your age, your upbringing, or your education, what you are made of is mostly unused potential.”