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Competition is the spice of sports; but if you make spice the whole meal you'll be sick.
The simplest single-celled organism oscillates to a number of different frequencies, at the atomic, molecular, sub-cellular, and cellular levels. Microscopic movies of these organisms are striking for the ceaseless, rhythmic pulsation that is revealed. In an organism as complex as a human being, the frequencies of oscillation and the interactions between those frequencies are multitudinous. -George Leonard
Learning any new skill involves relatively brief spurts of progress, each of which is followed by a slight decline to a plateau somewhat higher in most cases than that which preceded itโฆthe upward spurts vary; the plateaus have their own dips and rises along the wayโฆTo take the masterโs journey, you have to practice diligently, striving to hone your skills, to attain new levels of competence. But while doing soโand this is the inexorableโfact of the journeyโyou also have to be willing to spend most of your time on a plateau, to keep practicing even when you seem to be getting nowhere. (Mastery, p. 14-15).
Backsliding is a universal experience. Every one of us resists significant change, no matter whether itโs for the worse or for the better. Our body, brain and behavior have a built-in tendency to stay the same within rather narrow limits, and to snap back when changedโฆBe aware of the way homeostasis worksโฆExpect resistance and backlash. Realize that when the alarm bells start ringing, it doesnโt necessarily mean youโre sick or crazy or lazy or that youโve made a bad decision in embarking on the journey of mastery. In fact, you might take these signals as an indication that your life is definitely changingโjust what youโve wantedโฆ.Be willing to negotiate with your resistance to change.
Our preoccupation with goals, results, and the quick fix has separated us from our own experiencesโฆthere are all of those chores that most of us canโt avoid: cleaning, straightening, raking leaves, shopping for groceries, driving the children to various activities, preparing food, washing dishes, washing the car, commuting, performing the routine, repetitive aspects of our jobsโฆ.Take driving, for instance. Say you need to drive ten miles to visit a friend. You might consider the trip itself as in-between-time, something to get over with. Or you could take it as an opportunity for the practice of mastery. In that case, you would approach your car in a state of full awarenessโฆTake a moment to walk around the car and check its external condition, especially that of the tiresโฆOpen the door and get in the driverโs seat, performing the next series of actions as a ritual: fastening the seatbelt, adjusting the seat and the rearview mirrorโฆAs you begin moving, make a silent affirmation that youโll take responsibility for the space all around your vehicle at all timesโฆWe tend to downgrade driving as a skill simply because itโs so common. Actually maneuvering a car through varying conditions of weather, traffic, and road surface calls for an extremely high level of perception, concentration, coordination, and judgementโฆDriving can be high artโฆUltimately, nothing in this life is โcommonplace,โ nothing is โin between.โ The threads that join your every act, your every thought, are infinite. All paths of mastery eventually merge.
[Each person has a] vantage point that offers a truth of its own.
We are the architects of creation and all things are connected through us.
The Universe is continually at its work of restructuring itself at a higher, more complex, more elegant level . . . The intention of the universe is evolution.
We exist as a locus of waves that spreads its influence to the ends of space and time.
The whole of a thing is contained in each of its parts.
We are completely, firmly, absolutely connected with all of existence.
We are indeed in relationship to all that is.
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