Are Your Balloons in a Row?

The other day I noticed a man loading a large bunch of balloons into the back of his vehicle. As I watched, he would push in a couple balloons on one side and several would pop out on the other. I thought, “goodness that is what life is like when we have too many projects going on at once. As we get one thing, or balloon under control, two or three pop out the other side. Then we get preoccupied with getting those balloons back in the car, and the others pop back out! No wonder we get frustrated, and feel crazy!” Some of us say, “I am so busy!”, as euphemism for “I chose to not manage my life and be responsible for the choices that I make.”
 
We know that mastery comes at a price of sacrificing some of those projects. The sacrifice of that which is of less important, or of that which I am less passionate about for the things that matter the most to us. This sacrifice seems like it should be easy but often it means people will be upset with us, and our desire to people please wins out over our desire to do the things in life that we are most passionate about.  We can choose to be a jack of all trades, and a master of none, or we can have a passion or passions that we desire to master. If our choice is the latter, then the first steps to mastery is to simplify and put in order our life.
 
What are you passionate about?  Are you living your priorities? Where can you simplify your life? Where can you create more order in your life? 
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Mastery – Robert Greene

Jackie of All Trades, Mastery of None

“A friend of mine, twenty-nine and still looking for a cause, a purpose in life, said, ‘Our generation has been raised on the idea of keeping our options open. But if you keep all your options open, you can’t do a damned thing.’ It’s a problem: How can any one option, any one goal match up to the possibilities contained in all the others? … Ultimately, liberation comes through the acceptance of limits. You can’t do everything, but you can do one thing, and then another and another,” writes George Leonard in his book, Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment. 
 
Rereading Leonard’s Mastery, I have found the pure pleasure in slowing down. Doing one thing exceedingly well in this moment, and the next, and the next. Pure focus, pure practice. Turning off the noise bringing my attention to perfecting in this moment whatever it is I am doing. Choosing to not be “busy.” I chose only a few very important things to say, “yes” to in my life.
I listen, I share, I listen some more. I ride, I reflect, I ride some more. I write, I review, I write some more.
What are the most important things in your life? Slow down to speed up. Your partner, your children, your work, your life. Be present to it, practice it, one step and then the next step.
Building a business? Start with one person, connect with them. Listen to them. Invite them. Assist them through the use of your service or product. Nourish the relationship. Propose for them to work with you only if it will serve them.
Mastery. Seek it. Treasure it. Enjoy each and every moment of it.
Synopsis of George Leonard’s Mastery …
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