1. Understanding Mastery

“This is the real secret: the brain that we possess is the work of six million years of development, and more than anything else, this evolution of the brain was designed to lead us to mastery, the latent power within us all.” —Robert Greene, Mastery

Most people consent to living an ordinary life.

They generally accept their circumstances, and while some may try to ascend from their current position, most don’t.

In comparison to the great masters of history—people like Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, John Coltrane, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Temple Grandin —most people today won’t accomplish much in their lifetime.

But you’re not like most people, are you?

If you were, you wouldn’t be reading this.

So, let me give you some good news: the world’s greatest masters don’t have some special gift that you don’t…

Anyone—including you—can achieve mastery.

But what is mastery, exactly?

Mastery, defined

Robert Greene defines mastery as the point where we feel “we have a greater command of reality, other people, and ourselves.”

Masters will come to have this experience consistently throughout their lives. The process begins with a basic introduction to a skill or field of passionate interest.

At first, the student is required to learn a great deal of information, and to overcome feelings of boredom, impatience, and even fear during this stage.

Eventually, the task becomes more inherent.

It becomes easier, more fluid, more easily understood.

There comes a point where the basic skills are blended with the student’s own style and personality – whereby they become a practitioner of the skill.

If they persist in this process of learning, doing, and adapting, they’ll eventually become masters.

Achieving mastery elevates the power and status of an individual. At this point, the level of understanding and intuition far surpasses the average person, and “brings… tremendous practical power as well.”

Mastery is when the mind is no longer trapped by consciousness, and yet is still able to create conscious solutions and innovations that are highly valuable. It’s a transformation from a world of rote learning to a world of exploring, questioning, and understanding.

Masters are able to gain keen insight into social situations and place themselves within the worlds of others to understand the impact of actions and verbal exchanges.

Common traits of uncommon masters

Here are a few of the common traits that led to the success of the world’s greatest masters:

• They all had youthful passions that somehow led to future mastery.
• They all were immersed into an apprenticeship—whether by design or accident—where they spent years honing their craft and challenging their minds to tasks of higher thinking.
• They were all willing to work harder and longer than anyone around them, and they all showed “a deep and powerful inclination toward a particular subject.”

Actionable insights

If you’re serious about becoming one of the greatest that ever did it in your line of work, seek the path of mastery by:

• following your inclinations,
• valuing your passion(s), and
• being willing to put forth any effort required into your own journey to mastery.