On the path to mastery, various factors can either facilitate or hinder the continuation of one’s practice. Recognising them clearly is part of the journey itself.
- Lifestyle — The elements of our daily lives are important for walking the path to mastery. Time, our professional lives and our relationships are worth considering in terms of compatibility and their capacity to provide support.
- Over-emphasis on results — The results stem from the act of walking itself.
- Insufficient guidance — Information is a means of overcoming natural obstacles along the way.
- Elegance in competition — The motivational element is important in that it generates energy without becoming a factor that limits one’s progress along the path.
- Sloth — Overcoming inertia is a natural consequence of having the courage to keep moving.
- Respecting boundaries — The most effective way to avoid harm at any level is to remain mindful of our actions, here and now. In this way, we can navigate the fine line between complacency and pushing ourselves further.
- External media — Whether in the form of fictitious substances or shortcuts, external means merely create the illusion of rapid progress, which will be followed by a setback greater than the intended advance.
- External rewards — Motivation stemming from an external reward, such as a medal or a prize, usually has the paradoxical effect of setting a limit on the journey. That is why the true reward on the path to mastery is the journey itself.
- Vanity — True learning and authentic practice are independent of external judgement. In this sense, an important source of support is maintaining the mindset of a learner, and being open to the idea of starting afresh with every step.
- Excessive seriousness — Seriousness does not preclude good humour. The ability to laugh at oneself broadens one’s perspective and clarifies one’s vision of the path ahead. Mastery and simplicity go hand in hand with light-heartedness.
- Inconsistency — Authentic practice is all about regularity and persistence. Personal rituals are an effective aid in cultivating concentration and discipline. And it is worth remembering that consistency also involves returning to the practice immediately after any breaks, which are inevitable along the way.
- Perfectionism — Mastery is about the process of practice. The level of improvement one can achieve is just one aspect of that process; what matters most is one’s dedication to the path. As popular wisdom teaches, “done is better than perfect”. Art is about doing something wholeheartedly, and what emerges will be perfect exactly as it is, within the inevitable relativity of the imperfection of form.
English (UK)