“You are neither behind the point of perfection, nor are you advancing toward it. You are at the point of perfection and from there you must understand yourself.” — Mary Baker Eddy
Understanding oneself is for most . . . challenging, for others . . . improbable and for a select few . . . utterly impossible. It appears to be acceptable to just get by, expect less and be satisfied with mediocrity, which reflects neither very good or very bad, ordinary, commonplace and average. Rather a sad commentary. Unfortunately, it may be more the norm than the exception. Luckily people like, Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, Puccini, Verdi, DaVinci, Michelangelo, Einstein, Voltaire, Emerson, Churchill, Goethe, Shakespeare, Gandhi, Socrates, George Balanchine, Maria Tallchief, Plato, Aristotle, Lao Tzo, Albert Camus, Joseph Campbell, Copernicus, E. E. Cummings, Rumi, T. S. Elliott, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Aquinas, C. S. Lewis, Mark Twain and Steve Jobs . . . decided differently. They consciously decided on mastery as the better choice in their respective fields, and through study, struggle, competition, vision, focus, determination, loss, faith, courage with an indomitable will . . . they achieved the expert skill and knowledge necessary to conquer doubt. They lived the words of Martin Heidegger, “A person is neither a thing nor a process but an opening . . ..”
What will it take to bridge the opening opportunity in your life right now? What is holding you back, and can you define it for yourself? Do you think someone is going to take you by the hand and lead you step by step in the excavation of who you are and what you’re about? Introspection is looking into one’s own mind, feelings and reactions. By exercising this process, you gain analysis and observation of yourself. It is a conscious choice of will to begin this kind of work. Sometimes, it is a natural phenomenon in some people . . . rare . . . but plausible and very possible. Michelangelo said it this way . . . “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
Have you figured out what will set you free? Do you even care? Growth perspective is frightening, but necessary. Staying stuck where you are is a choice, but not an answer . . . it delays the inevitable. In Science of Mind there is a passage that states . . . “We grow in a variety of ways: physically, intellectually, socially, and spiritually. Our growth can be so distinct, and it might so dramatically change our lives that our consciousness — which reflects our growth — becomes our passport in life.”
Up to this moment, some of us have had robotic experiences by just going through the motions and getting things done through the mechanization of repetition. Therein lies . . . mediocrity. Do you know the difference, and more importantly do you choose to now make a difference in your life? The difficulty lies in a resonating awakening rumbling within, that pushes you to change. The words of Joseph Campbell resonate quite well . . . “People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive.” In being alive, the conscious choice may be mediocrity or mastery . . . time becomes the thief of good intentions limiting that choice for all of us. JLR