I sometimes look back on my career and think did I ever master anything and does it matter. I was a skilled generalist leader in my corporate career but didn’t really become a specialist until I became an OD consultant and coach. Provoked by another discussion though I found myself reflecting on the value of mastery and what it really means.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
So, if mastery as Aristotle suggests is the repetition of an act which then becomes a habit, we could argue that there is a plethora of things at which we become masters – but is that enough of a bar I wonder – with no offence to Aristotle of course.
Author Robert Greene offers a far more compelling (to me) insight into mastery:
“The first move toward mastery is always inward – learning who you really are and reconnecting with that innate force.”
Inner mastery is a tough road. Like any mastery it requires discipline, persistence, humility (when things don’t work out) and patience. And here we may come back to what Aristotle says because that diligent focus on how we behave (what we do/how we act) and the impacts we have must become a habit, but not a mindless one.
Mastery demands time, focus, practice, and self-discipline and is cultivated through persistent effort, emotional control, and self-awareness. When we take this journey of mastery inwards, we then see the outer results – in whatever discipline we choose. The discipline to self-improve, the mastery over one’s emotions, the deep dedication to knowing who we really are and not hiding behind any misguided self-image – these are all acts of the soul.
The journey of inner mastery calls on us to be willing to let go, to transform, to constantly adapt as new information (or a repeat of old information) arrives into our awareness. So why bother? Because mastery is more than a badge, an act or a point of arrival, it is a journey, a rich and expansive journey filled with ups and downs that stimulate and open new doors.
We have the opportunity to enter deeply into our creative nature, expand our consciousness and radiate with an ever more powerful light in the world, and it doesn’t get more uplifting and joyful than that.