I’ve been reading Mastery Through Accomplishment by Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan. The essence of his message was the surprisingly Gecko-like statement that “The secret of life is the desire to attain something; the absence of this makes life useless.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I think I’ve been sold a bill of goods! Seems like all my life people in positions of religious authority have been telling me to give, sacrifice, and put aside all thoughts of earthly attainment. Khan, on the other hand, says that holiness, such as it can be achieved in human form, can be reached through pursuing your chosen mission with passion, discipline, and a drive for perfection in action. As an inveterate entrepreneur, I can definitely get behind that idea!

“Mastery is not only a means of accomplishing the things of the world, but it is that by which a person fulfills the purpose of his life. It is not necessary for man to leave all the things of the world and go into retreat. He can attend to his business, to his profession, to his duties in life and yet at the same time develop this spirit in himself which is the spirit of mastery.”

What is your mission? Your chosen path to mastery?

But hold on, Bucky! Did you know that there’s almost a fall after a big leap in understanding or ability? If you get time, check out George Leonard’s book entitled Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment. Leonard talks about the inevitable backslide after every personal success. He explains that the very course of mastery is one of plateaus followed by sudden insights or improvements, followed by slight regressions, plateaus, etc.

So when my golf swing felt so great as a result of paying attention to one seemingly minor aspect (by the way, it was the shoulder turn … just making sure my shoulders turned on the same plane on the way down as on the way up), I knew the following days weren’t going to be quite as much fun.

But knowing that would happen helped me relax and enjoy the new found feel of my swing, and to pay attention to other subtle aspects that fell into place because the one thing was right. If you’re forewarned, you’re forearmed, and when you experience a great day of success, be ready for the minor let down the next day. If you recognize it for what it is – another step in the direction of mastery – then you’ll be able to appreciate it and keep the feeling of forward momentum!