Mastery

I have enjoyed readying Mastery by George Leonard. I appreciate his insight into Mastering the details of our life!

I am at Lake Powell this week, and have had the opportunity to discuss this book as I have been carrying it around reading, sharing, pondering. I love so many parts. 

I specifically appreciate today the part of recognizing the difficulty to change... homeostatic. We live in this mortal world and have to actively seek to breakout of the homeostasis of mortal life. I love this quote Brad and I were given at a Sutherland Institute held at Regan Ranch a few years back by Boyd Matheson:

“Why Climb?

What is above knows what is below...

What is below does not know what is above...

One climbs...

One sees...

One may descent and see no longer...

But one has seen!

There is an art to conducting one's self in the lower regions of life, by the memory of what one saw - Higher Up!” - René Daumal

I love to climb. I love to learn. I love how Mastery by George Leonard has applied these principals to all areas of life. Just tonight I was reading about applying these principals to our relationships. I have much homework I need to get done. Oh the list of jobs is always long. However, Brad came in and said, "Come with me! The sun is about to set, let's go for a walk." How can I refuse a walk with my best friend in the final hours of a day, my favorite! I love him! I love seeking, growing, mastering life with him! This week has been full of many challenges. One night in a terrible wind storm, our anchors on the houseboat pulled loose in the sand. We sprang to action to secure the houseboat from hitting the rocks. We were pulling anchor lines, when my 18 yr old daughter said "I think our family thrives from hard things." I have pondered this statement. I hope we have taught our kids to do hard things. To climb. To master the difficult things in their lives! I appreciate so much the positive nature of the reading for my Entrepreneurship class. It is opposite the reading for my Family Relations class. In the Family class, we are focusing this week on abuse and the effects, long and short term on all involved. How depressing! I much prefer the application of George Leonard's Mastery keys to our relationships (see pages 147-150 in Mastery). What great advice! Amidst the challenges, we need to see the sunsets, the beautiful moon rising in the sky and the touch of pink on the clouds above. We need to see the tender mercies our Heavenly Father works for us daily! These are the signs of surrender when we realize that we can't do it by ourselves, but when we humbly admit that we need a change of heart, we need a better way, and acknowledge that there is a higher way, even God's way, then He will help us reach the impossible!