The master has failed more times than  the beginner has ever tried.

 —  Unknown Author

The subject  I loved the most in school, I failed at. The universe was giving me my first lesson in how difficult it can be to master anything, even if it is your passion. I was young, and the result of my English scores had me depressed for weeks. Little did I know that there would be more periods of doubt and struggle throughout my writing life. Looking back on it, I had to face up to some harsh realities about what I thought was my one true talent.

I couldn't give up. What else did I enjoy as much as telling stories? A talent  I could share with the world?

I think maybe those exam results scared me for years, but I couldn't hide from the inevitable forever. The universe is like that. It reminded me again of what I should be doing and presented me with an opportunity. I took it. That's another story to tell but I learned something about setting your sights on becoming great at what you do

Everything has a cost and getting good at anything whether its your passion or not, takes commitment and focus. I was out partying most weekends, and my social calendar was ram packed with distractions. Remember I had finally decided that I wanted to be a writer and already I was faced with choices.I started writing regularly and weekends were the best times for me. In the early days when my roommates were making plans to hit the club, I was in the thick of it with them then something strange happened.

I wasn't as enthusiastic to go out with my friends as I used to be. I became focused on mastering the one thing I truly loved doing rather than being entertained and distracted.

It crept up on me, but I became BORING.

My spars tried to snap me out of this phase that they thought I was going through. What they didn't realize was I had figured out that to achieve my writing goal of writing a book I had to be committed to continuous growth through learning and practice. I can laugh now, but for my friends, it was like they were going through the five stages of grief. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.  The easy-going guy that they knew at the pub, bars, and clubs, was the easy-going guy sitting at home studying and practicing. A few understood, some were pissed with me while others I've not seen since.

My bumpy, precipitous, swerving road to mastery continues, and by the way, I did write the book.

I came across the 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene many years after my first book was published. What mischief I could have caused with the knowledge between the pages when I was still searching for guidance back then. Thankfully it's not too late. Then came another classic from him called Mastery and many of my challenges came into stark perspective after reading it. A  life-changing book.

What are my quick insights from reading Mastery:

• Recognise Your Passion
• Find Your Ideal Apprenticeship
• Engage in Deep Practice and Experiment
• Be Socially Intelligent
• Follow Your Instincts
• Construct your world around your strengths
• Practice, Practice, Practice​​​​​​​

Great chatting. I hope my recommendations entertain or enlighten. Walk good, until next week where I'll be writing to you from Nice, South of France.

Peace, Love and Power

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