The Pillars of Mastery -- A Series (3/4)

On Growth  

Lack of growth is lack of courage.

“Do not do what someone else could do as well as you. Do not say, do not write what someone else could say, could write, as well as you. Care for nothing in yourself but what you feel exists nowhere else. And, out of yourself create, impatiently or patiently, the most irreplaceable of beings.” — André Gide, The Immoralist

Fifty years later, Carl Jung would write: “If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s.”

And then, Robert Greene added: “The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose,” and I would further add that you must discover, invent, and create that purpose—because yours is unique and different from that of others. Certainly, it is different from those in your neighborhood, which is the most likely place where you will find yourself following and trying to fit in.

Growth is felt more than it is seen; this is why capturing daily wins is more about feeding your feelings of improvement than merely celebrating the actual wins. Our feelings possess immense power—both to build and to destroy.

You have heard that a man’s worst enemy is himself. This is because, through his feelings, he has the ability to destroy himself—but also the ability to build himself. Why? I read somewhere that: “The road to hell feels like heaven, and the road to heaven feels like hell.” Meaning—building and sharpening yourself is painful. Think of exercise, of meditation. On the other hand, destroying yourself feels enjoyable—think of junk food, watching pornography, and other indulgences.

But all that said—to grow, you must remember that the mind is in control of the body, which, when left unsupervised, will default to destroying itself with excess and avoiding all that is hard.

“Too great am I to be a slave to my body; too great is that for which I was born.” — Seneca

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Cancelo Alvarez