YOUR LIFE A-Z MASTERY

THE PANAMA CANAL - 100 YEARS OF MASTERY

MASTERY

Self- MASTERY is a skill that is necessary to survive childhood with ourself-esteem intact.  If our parents “over-functioned” for us and we could not even tie our shoes so to speak, then it is natural as kids to feel inept.  If our family system neglected us, it is likely that MASTER is something you never really cherished or celebrated.  Today as adults, when you are around a child, the normal thing to do is to clap and praise a child for the most innocuous events, like tying his or her shoe.  That praise helps the child feel confident and eager to try again and even try to perfect their former feat.  Praise builds MASTERY.  Neglect or criticism tears MASTERY down and creates a sense of inner defeat.  We cannot keep blaming our parents for our lack of confidence, self-esteem, or self-worth.  The only person to blame now is our self.  It is never too late to MASTER your life, your skills, or your dreams.  If you keep focusing on what you did not receive, guess what, you still won’t receive it.  So, learn to practice whatever it is that you want to be different in your life until you establish a sense of MASTERY.  MASTERY requires practice, fortitude, and trying again and again until you feel good about your skill level or present situation. MASTERY, being really good at something builds your self-esteem and self-image.  MASTERY of one thing leads to the energy to practice MASTERY with something else.   

YOUR LIFE A-Z PRACTICE

TAKE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

PRACTICE

Contrary to the popular saying "Practice makes perfect," practice does not make perfect. Perfection does not exist.  Regardless of how much a professional athlete or pianist practice, there is always a possibility of a bad game or not so perfect performance.  The difference is that practice, daily practice, improves your odds of having more good days than bad ones; and that results in having a happier life.  It is a guarantee that if you do not practice, you will have more bad days than good ones; and you will not achieve your goals as soon as you would like, and sometimes you will not achieve them at all. By practicing, you improve your odds, your skill, your acuity, and your ability.  Without practice you are not as able to adjust to life's curve balls.  When expected things happen, you may not have the agility to be flexible or resourceful.  As a result, you repeat old habits of coping that give you the same bad results you had in the past.  The old depression and victim mentality sets in.  When this starts there is only one thing to do and that is to get back up and return to practice.  Buddhist refer to prayer and meditation as practice.  They also refer to compassion as a practice.  If we reframe the striving for perfection to the practice of practicing we are more than likely to enjoy working toward our goals and achieving our dreams.