Welcome back! Great to have you here!
So far we’ve addressed the first two steps of living and might I add, loving the life of an ARTIST!
1. Accept the Challenge
2. Define the Rules
As you may recall we have addressed things like, Being There, Confronting and how Time, Space, and Energy define our lives.
Today, we head into step three:
Mastering Your Craft.
Oh, I’m excited about this one!
By the way, by craft I mean any area of your life with which you wish to excel. Parenting, boating, laying pipeline, photography, teaching, writing, makeup, organizing, being a good person, etc.
So, where do we begin?
Well, we must first revisit step 2. Define the Rules. Now, it’s not enough to just know the rules and understand them, oh no. There is much more to this. In order to take your craft and master it, you must now DUPLICATE it.
What?
Yep. Duplication is another one of those words that is under valued. A full understanding of this word can free you from a mediocre life and help you to create a happy, successful and fulfilling one.
So let’s talk about duplication.
What does it mean to duplicate the rules or really duplicate anything?
Duplicate: 2. Being the same as another. A copy.
An exact replication.
Why is this important? Isn’t good enough, enough? No. Not if you want to gain a thorough understanding of well…anything.
There is something quite magical about duplicating something.
You know what I mean. You’re chatting with a friend and you completely, utterly, and fully understand what they are saying and feeling.
It’s freeing isn’t it! But why? What is it that you are feeling in that moment?
Well, I’ll tell you.
It’s certainty.
Interesting isn’t it?
Duplication brings certainty.
Whoa. Let that sink in. This is monumental!
Certainty is priceless because it creates effortlessness. It creates calm. It is confidence without confusion or chaos or vagueness. Certainty is the confirmation that you have achieved mastery.
Wow! That's amazing!
But what does it take to achieve this?
1. Interest
2. Commitment
3. Time
4. Effort
5. Willingness to learn
6. Ability to differentiate
To sum it up, it takes work.
Let’s take Tab, my lovely and talented husband who travels the world playing acoustic guitar for the Legendary Art Garfunkel.
You don’t get a gig like that without mastering your craft. What did Tab do? He became Interested at a young age and COMMITTED himself to spending HOURS playing the guitar at home. He WANTED TO LEARN so he made the EFFORT to find records and any other resource he could to get better. As he got better, he found that he could DIFFERENTIATE between sounds on the record and really hone in on the individual notes.
Then what did he do?
He played them until they were exactly like the record.
He duplicated them.
With this mastery of his craft, it gave him certainty that he could hand his name over to a complete stranger saying, “Tell Art I would like to throw my hat into the ring.” And well, Art picked up the hat, Tab auditioned, and got the gig.
Of course his story goes beyond mastering the craft as he continued to hone his skill, he elevated it, and made his playing his own. He is truly an ARTIST.
Now, let ‘s talk about duplication in terms of relationships so you can feel what it’s like to duplicate.
My question is this:
How often have you ever truly been duplicated in your life?
Think about it.
Think about the first time someone ever really got you. You. Not an impression of you. Not sort of you, but genuinely you.
Wasn’t it extraordinary?
Suddenly, you felt an enormous amount of space, didn’t you!
It’s like you were free to move about without care or concern. Life didn’t’ feel like a battle! Everything seemed effortless. It was amazing! All because someone had seen you for exactly you.
That’s a big deal! It’s beautiful. It is freeing.
It’s the same feeling you can experience regarding any craft be it work, relationships, fitness, health, and even your own spirituality!
Duplicating allows us to not just empower our own lives but it allows us to view others for who they are, not who we want them to be. There is beauty in that. There is freedom and more importantly there is peace.
Next week we'll address more nuances of Mastering Your Craft but for now thanks for dropping in and spending a few moments with me.
Be sure to check out Decker's Observation Deck! It's always a treat for your senses. This week's piece is entitled, "Skipping Stones." Observation Deck
Duplication is the sincerest form of mastery!