It's about what you don't see

It sort of felt like cheating the other day when I posted my May assignment as a blog posting. So here are some thoughts on that.
I have been thinking a lot about mastery in the last couple of weeks. Partly due to the assignment to memorize Stewart Emery's thoughts on mastery and partly because I really thought about the words that I was committing to memory. It is about a bit more than expecting more of yourself than others do, it is about doing it. I thought it would be about others noticing a difference but it's not, it is about affecting that difference. It is about countless hours of practice anywhere and anytime. It is about breaking down techniques and forms and putting them back together. It is about not only having an eye for detail but knowing exactly what that means and how it feels.
I had a rather romantic idea of what it would be like on the journey to black belt, I thought about the thank you speech, the sense of accomplishment and the sense of relief. I did not realize that it would be about what you don't see, the dedication and determination that I need to rely on each day to accomplish my daily goals.
So on the road to mastery, it is important to surround yourself with people who expect more of you than you do and to rid your environment of mediocrity. It is also important to work hard every day, regardless of how you feel and what is going on in your head or your life.