Mastering Essentials

Photo by Charlein Gracia on Unsplash.

In this article, I am exploring the topic of mastery.

One of the things that I've been most intrigued by is when humans are masterfully expressing a skill or a craft. Whether it is Herbert von Karajan conducting Beethoven, master Mohammad-Reza Lotfi entering a trance-like state improvising on the Setar, or any of the countless artists and creative people I encounter in my life - something really entices me about how humans are pushing themselves time and time again to express a part of themselves beautifully in their own individual way.

There is such a wide spectrum of expressions available, and that often boggles my mind.

What does it mean to master something?

A person's individual competence in a skill can be measured by comparison to another one's: we can say, person A beats person B consistently, so they are more masterful at this skill. However as a counter-example, there are often "rock-paper-scissors" situations, where one approach is always going to be superior to another one in a direct comparison. We can still appreciate someone's mastery at the "rock" style, even though they're more likely than not to lose to an experienced opponent using the "paper" style. That doesn't take away from their mastery.

So mastery goes beyond a direct comparison. When I think of mastery, there is a more holistic perspective.

Mastering a skill also means mastering knowing oneself, and this naturally comes with a personal, unique touch. For Muhammad Ali it was his unique dancing-like approach to boxing that allowed him to outmaneuver his opponents. For Kobe Bryant that meant an unwavering and seemingly endless drive to out-practice his opponents, and his "mamba mentality" that made him so powerful in and off the field.

Every human is a master in expressing themselves, and I think there is much value in appreciating this.

What is essential about mastery?

I am fascinated by the essence of life and this universe. At times, I can almost taste life on my tongue. I have experienced bliss and pure joys of life - and often this was in relation to expressing myself purely or witnessing something or someone in pure expression of themself. I believe that mastering anything requires access and openness to the essence of life. By mastering something, we are revealing the beauty of life in such a way that it leads to wide-spread appreciation and acknowledgement.

Humans are probably always going to debate who has been "the MVP" in a certain sport (Ronaldo or Messi; or Madonna?), but broadly who is even up for the debate is not debated. I think this is because, intuitively, we feel when someone is exhibiting this access to essence.

I feel deeply inspired and connected with those who pursue their passions and pursue mastery in their own, unique way.

What does this mean for myself?

I have found much joy in exploring myself by expressing many different activities and skills. Some I've dropped, some I've revisited, and some have sticked around. Some are for entertainment and relaxation, and for others I pursue mastery.

In pursuing mastery, I also find an element of humility and dedication. There are many inspirational quotes about the relationship to failure and so on, that is required to achieve mastery. I think this is one of those instances where one cannot truly appreciate the content of those quotes before having gone through the experience itself.

And so I aspire to live a fully essential life, where I find mastery and beauty in every aspect. A life of dedication, consistency and joy - with all the ups and downs that this entails.