And No, I don’t mean ‘Master of Ceremonies’ aka Emcee at events – weddings, launches and such!
I recently had the pleasure of listening to the Nigerian Soprano Abiodun Koya (check her out on Facebook and YouTube), and I could not get over her command of her craft. The high notes she was hitting…wow! Her voice gave me goosebumps. While listening to her, I had to own that I was indeed listening to a Master (in the making).
In the world of personal development and accomplishment, a ‘master’ is someone who has gained (note this word – gained) mastery (another word to keep in mind) in the execution of a set of skills and has become extremely skilled within his/her sphere of competence.
You have heard about Chess Masters, right? Well a Chess Master is someone who has over time, and through certain disciplines and habits (related to the craft) become exceptionally skilled in the game of chess. Anyone can become a ‘master’, it’s not a domain reserved for painters (think Michelangelo), comedians (think Nigeria’s Basketmouth, as well as other notable international names like Bernie Mac, Steve Harvey, Ricky Gervais and others), musicians (think Josh Groban –my favorite, Michael Jackson) etc.
Whatever your sphere of competence, for instance teaching, home keeping, banking, coaching, garment designing, dress making, customer service, writing, engineering, medicine, child care, public speaking, singing, broadcasting… the list is endless …YOU CAN BECOME A MASTER. But I will balance it by owing that while not everyone will become a master, ANYONE can become a master. It’s a matter of how far you will push yourself in your gift. But I’m getting ahead of myself; let’s dial back a bit…
Do you want to become a master in your field? Do you want to leave the crowd and be one of the ‘anyone’s’ who will exhibit exceptional prowess and skill in his/her sphere of competence? Then you have to be willing to put in serious time and effort in your quest for mastery. Recall I told you to note the word ‘gained’ that I mentioned earlier. Well mastery doesn’t just come. It’s not something that comes from someone laying their hands on your head, you cannot even attribute mastery to genetics nor can mastery be bought. No, no, no, no, no! A Master is something you BECOME OVER TIME. Mastery is something that is earned initially through hard work and sacrifice. It was Malcolm Gladwell in his book ‘Outliers’ who said that mastery is built over 10,000 hours of consistent high level practice of your craft. How committed are you to practicing your craft consistently for 10,000 hours – that’s daily practice – daily discipline – daily denial of yourself and wants to become a Master. Choosing the dictates of your mind over your body – daily! The word here is DAILY. Are you that committed?
I have to note that Bruce Lee with his prowess did not believe he had attained mastery of his craft. Shocking, right? He considered himself a student-master. Meaning that even when you think you have ‘arrived’ and attained mastery, there is still some mileage ahead to cover. A true master never ever rests on his laurels; he keeps pushing his expertise to the next level.
Mastery does not come cheap – you pay for it in your energy, time, money, emotions, intellect, physical body,– whatever part of you that is involved in the exhibition of your skill will have to be disciplined to gain mastery. Speaking about Abiodun Koya again, do you know that notable singers (especially opera singers worth their salt) do not drink cold water? It messes with their voice. So you want to become an opera singer of note but you guzzle liters of ice cold water each day; is ice cream is your beverage of choice? I know for a fact that Ms Koya does not drink anything cold…no matter how scorching the temperature. It’s always room temperature drinks for her. Do you think she does not want to quench her thirst with that delicious ice cold bottle of …Coca Cola? But no, she sips insipid water (possibly with a hint of lemon). Why? She is paying the price for MASTERY. So when you see her singing for Presidents, you know that is her reward for the price she paid daily.
Find out what your search for mastery will demand of you when this post concludes next Friday. In the meantime, share your thoughts in the comment section and feel free to ask questions. Don’t forget to share of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. For more information about what Lizspire is all about, click here.
