Evil does none of these things.  It does not evaporate, it does not come from heaven, it gives life to nothing, decays all, and when evil is heated it becomes the ultimate destroyer of things.

Evil and water, however, do have some commonalities.  Both accumulate in low places, and both add up little by little until the vessel that holds them is full.  And perhaps most importantly, it actually takes very little of either water or evil to cause one to drown.

Evil, darker influences, anger, hate, ill-deeds, selfishness, self-absorbsion--whatever you want to call it is one of the greatest plagues of our lives.  It is hard to resist, and even harder to battle when it is within ourselves.  But through careful thought and careful action, we may endeavor to master ourselves and work to create a better identity and a better world.

I am the wonderinglah of what is to write here.

How about write about nothing.

?

Being in the question... of who am I?

Who am I?

How to make myself gempak?

How how how?

If you've watched Kung Fu Panda, you've most probably realised that the answer is not out there, but the answer lies within each and every one of us -_-

Awesome!

Translation:
gempak= super

Men det är inte detta, att jämföra sig med vad andra gör som avgör kvalitén på min insatts, utan i detta fallet är det hur min mamma uppfattar vad jag gör för henne.

Glöm inte att när du avgör kvalitén på din insatts, så det alltid i jämförelse till dig själv och dina egna förutsättningar och den, eller det du gör det för, och inte i jämförelse till vad andra gör.

Our obstacle is that we live in an attention-deficit culture.  We are bombarded with more and more information on television, radio, cell phones, video games, the Internet.  The constant supply of stimulus has the potential to turn us into addicts, always hungering for something new and prefabricated to keep us entertained.  When nothing exciting is going on, we might get bored, distracted, separated from the moment.  So we look for new entertainment, surf channels, flip through magazines.  If caught in these rhythms, we are like tiny current-bound surface fish, floating along a two-dimensional world without any sense for the gorgeous abyss below.  When these societally induced tendencies translate into the learning process, they have devastating effect.

It's interesting because a few years ago, I thought being able to multi-task was a good thing.  Certainly, it is a good skill to have at times, but when it comes to learning something or getting things done, single-tasking is FAR more effective.

I think most people know this, but so few actually apply it.  How often do you work on something for ten minutes then check your email?  And how many people do you know who've actually mastered something? Anything?  If you want to master something, you'd better be passionate about it because you need to let it consume your life.  It takes a lot of work in a concentrated period of time to be great.  It takes even more work over many years to become a master.

Each test tells a tale.

Math B - The Math B Regents marks the end of NYS's High School Math road. It's one of those tests that help differentiate the advanced regents diploma from the regular diploma. Thus, the test is considerably harder. The exam is out of 88 points (yes - there is a curve), and consists of four parts. Part I is twenty multiple choice questions valued at a point a piece, and test your knowledge for the basics. Part II is twelve two pointers, generally simple problems, evolving from the basics found in part I. Additionally, work needs to be shown. Part III is tricky, six questions worth four points a piece. The problems are enough to make you sweat bullets. Two parts to each, and you need to show extensive work. Part IIII is the epitome of Hell. Two questions valued at six points, however, these problems are COMPLEX. If you are not sweating bullets by those two questions, either A - Something is wrong with you, or B - Prepare yourself for massive pit stains. Logs and Force were the two big topics. Personally, I was looking for a complex summation problem, as for I am freakishly talented at those, but, I was able to settle on Force. The key formulas (applied to Force) are Law of Sines and the Law of Cosines. Thankfully, New York State supplied us with those two formulas, and conveniently put them on the Formula Page. (Not that they are hard to remember, anyways). Now, add to your qeue, these are complex questions and thus usually two parts. The first part was simple. Law of Sines. Not a problem. Now, the other was something a bit more complicated. Were you to use Law of Sines, or Law of Cosines? I, personally, was told that on problems like these, NYS would make you use both. I tried Law of Cosines, and, it just wouldn't work out. How the hell was this going to work out? Then, I thought to use Law of Sines, which seemed like a much more reasonable approach. Was it a risk to defy what I was first told? Definitely. Did I get the credit? Dead on! Now, about that Log problem (Link to Problem)... I am not even going to attempt to write about it, I barely understood what I used to solve.

In all, I ended the test with an 85. Mastery. If you would like to read about some in depth coverage, along with valueable links and information, check out this blog - Link.

Global History - The Global History (and Geography) tests sums up your two years of tedious global studies. Nineth grade focused on the religion part of it, where as tenth was more about revolutions and change in history. The test consists of 50 multiple choice questions, and then two essays. One being a thematic essay, and the other being a DBQ (Document Based Question). The 50 multiple choice questions were easy. Straight up, they were designed for dumb kids. The only one that I got wrong was the one about Iran and collective security. Whoops. Moving along, though. The Thematic Essay. Ha. The past month of school for the first five minutes of class, we have been discussing possible thematic essay subjects. There is a whole slew of them - Revolutions, Important People, Human Rights Violations, etcetc. Now, my weak spot is Religion and Belief Systems. I am a die-hard atheist and choose not to pay attention during such lessons. What comes back to slap me in the ass? The thematic essay. Belief Systems. Well, screw me. Thankfully, I was able to bullshit my way through from talking about the Muslim Religion. I also added some historical facts, such as calling Mecca, "Mekkah", or the Qu'ran being called "Koran". Score! I suppose I did well, ha. Now, the DBQ was beyond easy. From my point of view, New York State is getting more modern with their problems. The topics consisted of - Genocide, Environmental Problems, and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). I was rather shocked, but, went to work. And, amazingly, I was able to tie in LSD. Big time score! All in all, I did well.

Score - 96. A solid A. Kudos to me.

Living Environment - Or, more commonly known as Biology. I refused to take this test seriously. It was so bland and full of questions that made no sense. However, one thing that I liked, and have stated in the Global paragraph, is the tie in with modern problems. Specifically, there was a question about the source of energy. Which was followed by two questions, "What is one source that is considered a Fossil Fuel?", and the other "What is one source that is considered a renewable source?" - Answers being Oil and Hydro. Pretty rad, I must say. The rest of the test is not even worth mentioning.

Score - 83. Not too shabby. Not mastery, but, the test was boring!

Language - For the past four years I have been studying the Italian language. It has been a horribly long walk through the dark woods. It was pure hell. The test, itself, was beyond easy, however. I felt that I did well. I walked into the test with 19/24 points from the Speaking Quiz, and am pretty sure that I aced the last two parts. Which will surely throw me over the passing mark.

Score - Unsure. I have yet to receive the e-mail. However, It's nice to walk away knowing that I can somewhat fluently speak the Italian Language.

-x-

Conclusion - I am pretty happy with what I scored. History and Math really blew me away. Granted, the Math grade was not the best.. But, some records say that 1/3 kids fail. Thus, I think I have a right to be happy that I passed with mastery. The other two tests.. I couldn't careless. I got what I got.

Cheers to more amazing regents grades!

Leonard points out that this doesn't mean that you're not growing, but rather that it takes some time before the growth you are undergoing manifests itself.

Therefore the challenge for the life practitioner is to learn to accept and even love the periods where you're practicing, where you're taking the actions. There is no attachment to the outcome, only a love of the practice. This for Leonard is true mastery, not the accomplishment that comes from it. It's just the nature of life that when you practice for the love of it, the accomplishments just seem to come along with it.

Two words:

1.  Serious

2.  Playful

Be serious about personal transformation.  Be consistent with the transformation process.  Take regular small steps to continue to transform yourself and get out of the box, break the cycle of opposites such as ups and down, feeling good and feeling bad, etc.  Let the word serious not just be a word.  Have this serious attitude of transformation as your mindset.

Be playful.  Have a playful attitude of the transformation game.  Play to win every time whether you make great progress or have temporary setbacks.  Each setback is an opportunity to transform yourself at a higher level.  So play the game hard and have fun with it.

Just these two words: serious and playful, when worn as attitudes can help you blossom in to a tree that is transformed and bears lots of delicious fruits of joy, success, peace, fulfillment of your purpose, and realizing your most cherished dreams.

Being serious about transformation while being playful can lead you towards mastery.  This is the wisdom shared by masters, teachers, and ordinary people who have transformed themselves in extraordinary ways.

Jag hörde en gång följande: ”Skall vi slå ihjäl tiden med lite kortspel” Med det resonemanget så önskar man livet av sig själv, varje timme betyder enormt mycket för oss, om vi bara använder den till något vettigt. Om du inte tror mig, försök att missa en enda timme av ditt liv någon gång!

Last we spoke, we were examining our motives for homeschooling and putting this explanation in writing, posting it somewhere or at least knowing where it was written down so that we can refer to it for inspiration and clarification during those tough times when we may need reminding as to why we are doing this to ourselves. :-)

Have you done this exercise yet? It is step one to achieving focus.

For example, here is why we homeschool:

Opening the hearts and minds of my children to whatever comes across their paths in 12 years' time is unthinkable, which is exactly what happens when the teacher roulette wheel is spun in a public or private school setting.

I remember a mom explaining to me that her child's public school teacher is a Christian, as if that makes it okay to place the very thing one cares most about in this life into the care of a complete stranger.

Disclaimer: I believe that God can use anything, and I do believe that he uses people within the public and private school systems to His glory.

Please understand that I merely believe that as parents, we have a higher calling than giving in to the government school system. But I still will not venture to make laws for anybody else, nor would I say that home education is the best choice in every situation for every family.

"Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you are going to get," explains Forrest Gump quite humbly. 

Anything other than homeschooling is like a box of chocolates, and who wants to risk what might be gotten?

I want to know what is in my children's heads. I want to be the former of their manners, the gatekeeper, so to speak, of all that enters the home. I sound like a control freak, don't I? With my young 'uns, I *so* am. Like it's a bad thing?

Moreover, we are called to this exact task as parents. It's our job. The world calls it "overprotective," a "Bubble Mentality." I call it love.

There is a peaceable and excellent alternative to outside education, and I pledge my life to take up my God-given responsibility to instill excellence in my children.

That is why we homeschool.

Your reasons for home education may be totally different, but that is certainly not a problem. I suspect they may be quite similar, however, from the reasons I have heard from moms and dads over the past seven years of asking.

                 *********************************

Now, what do you want to accomplish via homeschooling? What are your goals for your children?

"To do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God and man,"

For our family, that sums it up quite nicely. I want my children to love each other despite spending their days in close quarters together.

I want my children to be loving, obedient, cheerful, respectful, and helpful. I want them to strive to do their work with excellence, whether it is cleaning up the kitchen or writing an essay. (They are allowed to have bad days! ;-))

I want to be a family with all that entails and not a chopped up family with a couple of kids going here for the day and a couple going to middle school for the day and the others off to high school for the day. We may even get to have a meal together on the weekends....maybe. [Shudder]

How can this possibly be allowed by parents to be the norm for their families? Yet all over America, this scenario plays out in homes day after day after day after day.

If my children are not home with me or I with them, my efforts are self-defeating. The character items can not be consistently formed in them without oversight from mom and/or dad. Once character is formed, is not easily changed.

However, once good characer is formed, constant supervision becomes unnecessary, and true self-teaching can begin. The character part comes first and can not be ignored! Mastery can now be achieved.

There is so much to be said on this topic of reasons for homeschooling. I hope you will comment here and toss in your thoughts on "Why homeschool?" I will pause here in my diatribe to give you a voice. Don't be shy! I would love to read your comments.

Faced with these challenges, companies that are not in the top ten percent of brand awareness, growth and market share, need to increasingly become creative in their talent attraction strategies.  Why are the top companies able to continue their rapid growth?  What within their talent attraction process is different from the rest?  What is your company’s strategy for recruiting employees? 

In the competitive world of recruiting employees, employees that have the ability to add massive impact to your top line become your recruiting priority.  To recruit these employees you need to begin to recognize talent types.  Two types we train our client’s to recognize are capacity talent and cul-de-sac talent. 

Capacity talent, are those individuals who have the ability to simply excel in the role they have been hired to fill and they have the capacity for high level performance in each role within the company.  Cul-de-sac talent is clearly the opposite.  These new recruits can fill the specific role they have been hired for only, as their talent obviously has a ceiling.  They simply lack the talent to perform at each level within your organization.

Inevitably, recruiting employees with cul-de-sac level talent leads an organization to continually seek candidates from outside the company walls to fill critical positions.  New employee integration time becomes a real impediment to a company’s rapid or sustained growth.  Unquestionably, the investment in each new employee is great.  Cultural integration, process integration and knowledge flow requires time to develop.  Nurturing new talent requires an investment in time, and that time investment is inversely proportional to employee productivity.  Optimally, the highest ROI per employee is correlated to their tenure within the company.  Organic career growth has many benefits for the employer.  As the employee climbs the corporate ladder, the employee brings with them company culture awareness, process acumen and intimate knowledge which has already been paid for during their honeymoon period.  Consistently recruiting inorganically once again requires the inordinate investment.

When recruiting employees, the emphasis needs to be placed on identifying capacity talent.  The interview process needs to be re-contextualized to clearly delineate the types of talent presently available and needs to be specifically designed to quickly parse cul-de- sac talent out of your company’s interview process through behaviorally based interview techniques.  Once accomplished, you can begin to truly recruit the best and watch your company revenue grow.

Ron Mason

Ron Mason Coaching- Connect More Deeply

www.ronmasoncoaching.com

About Ron Mason

Having searched for proven, powerful industry specific training to overcome resistances and skill level ‘caps,’ Ron sought mentors through Matthew Ferry (www.matthewferry.com, ), Anthony Robbins, Steven Sadleir (www.selfawarenessinstitute.com), Landmark Education, Rice Cohen, Mark Kamin Associate’s and others. Recognizing the Recruiting Industry lacked flexible and affordable training solutions; Ron is committed to delivering battle tested, verifiable sales skills and processes specifically designed for recruiting and validated over many years, at an investment level that every recruiter can easily afford with zero downtime. 

Ron has executed retained and contingency search assignments for some of the biggest names in technology including: Oracle, Juniper, Sun MicroSystems, Open Text, Sybase, BladeLogic, EMC and CommVault Systems in Sales, Sales Leadership and Business Development over the past ten years.   Ron has personally created over $80,000,000 in revenue through his placements.  Ron began his career selling software with DataStream Systems, Inc., a leading provider of Computerized Maintenance Management Software, upon graduating with a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Utah. 

Realize that any mastery you do have is not truly YOUR mastery --for you of your own lower self can do nothing.

It is the I Am Presence within you who does the work.

Your mastery should not be expressed in order to raise up your lower, separate self above others.

You should not seek to compare your self with others.

Be aware that you will be tested ---pride.

 We are all equal, we are all extensions of God, of our I Am Presence,

 although we may be at different levels of attainment.

Those with higher levels of attainment have more responsibility.

They are to use what they have learned and internalized

 to teach others and help them realize that they too, are extensions of God .

We would like to invite you to join us in an adventure in consciousness.

Recently Sarah McCroskey and I were talking about the idea of Mastery. She told me about a vision she had in which she was taken by “the Masters” to a venue surrounded by a multitude of Masters (Quan Yin, Buddha, Jeshua, Lao Tsu and more). They asked her, “Are you ready?” and initiated her into her Mastery. They told her that she was one of the people on the planet today who are MASTERS NOW but are not aware of it or not able to embody and live it. She was told that it was her destiny to help awaken more of these masters. Needless to say it was an amazingly profound experience for her.

I was completely silent as she described her vision because about a year earlier I had had almost the exact same experience when I was taken to a huge stadium and was initiated in my Mastery! It was one of those goosebumpy, awestruck moments! A big “ah ha!”

I asked Osiris/Ahrazu to give me some information.

“The Masters need support. It has been more difficult than was foreseen to be here and to be a Master now. Too many of you are crumpling under the energetic weight/gravity of the mass consciousness here. All of you are leading a dual life, part Master, part “human”. It will take the energy of a group to bring the energetic shift required for the sleeping Masters to awaken, claim and live their Mastery. It is imperative that the more of the Masters are awakened now.”

• Direct experience of your Master/Greater Self
• Clear the agreements 'to forget' who you really are
• Learn how to create YOUR reality
• Claiming your Master Aspect and Initiation into Mastery

You are invited to participate in this amazing (and free) event!
(Approx. I hour) Click here to listen now.

Anyways, Mr. George Leonard purports achieving goals through perseverance. He says about that in order to become a master at a certain skill, one must learn to stop being goal oriented, but rather to enjoy the task at hand. He says that this society has trained us to do exactly the opposite. The commercials you see on your television, like the one with the guy with the beer in his hand and beautiful women magically surrounding him, are all about instant gratification, rather than building something that enduring. He says that you must persevere, make a commitment, and do the goal at a consistent basis in order to achieve access. Even when you hit a plateau in your development, and you will hit s plateau, you must persevere, and eventually you will overcome and move to the next level. The path to mastery looks something like this:

He also talks about three different types of people and the reasons why they fail. I am only going to talk about the one that is relevant to me, the dabbler. For the other two you really should buy the book or check it out from your local library. It is cheap and a fast read, you can probably finish it in an afternoon.

I believe I am what Mr. Leonard calls a dabbler. I start out a variety of tasks with unbridled enthusiasm, and this enthusiasm persists for some time, but after awhile my interest will wane, and I will move onto something else with that same enthusiasm, only to fail to make any progress with that new task. Here is the chart of progress for the dabbler:

Oftentimes, I will quit an activity because I have hit a plateau. I am not justifying anything here, but I am a product of the Pepsi generation, we have been raised on that instant gratification. As an example, I remember, a year ago I was well on my way to achieving my goal of gaining 25 lbs. In the first month alone, I think I gained about 10 lbs., but in the next two months I gained only 5 lbs., if that. I eventually tapered off because I was not seeing results. In retrospect, I should have kept going, and right now I would probably look so ripped it'd be ridiculous! Instead, it is a year later and I weigh the same weight as I did before I start gaining weight. I am not dwelling on this, but I want to give some perspective here.

So, how does a dabbler stop being a dabbler and start becoming a master? I haven't read that far yet, although I pretty much know the answer. I believe my new deal plan will keep me on that path that Mr. Leonard illustrated above. Success IS inevitable if I keep doing what I'm doing.

I bought a really cool book at a book sale once... paid all of five dollars for it, I think, and it's a keeper!  It's called "The Secret Language of Destiny: A Personology Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose".  In it, karmic paths are determined and defined by date of birth, and the descriptions of karmic paths are well thought-out, easy to understand, and - as I quickly learned - quite on target.  Extremely accurate, this book was used to determine the karmic paths of my kids, friends, companions, and - of course - myself.  Because the definition of my own karmic path, according to this book, resonated with me so vibrantly, I'm including it here as a way of getting to know myself better.

My karmic path: The Way of Mastery
Core Lesson: Finding and studying with a mentor
Goal: Mastering a craft or art
Gifts: Diligent, Persistent, Persuasive
Pitfalls: Domineering, Insecure, Solitary
Release: The tendency to workaholism
Reward: The joy of perfecting one's craft
Balance Point: Craft and Inspiration
Suggestion: Try to be kinder to yourself by occasionally lowering your standards. Remember to indulge in fantasy and to cultivate your imagination once in a while.
Crystals and Gemstones: Flourite - dispels ambivalence and encourages the individual to joyfully strive for mastery. This crystal helps one to move beyond the limits of perfectionism to experience the bliss of the mind/heart connection.

Those on this karmic path are here to lay claim to an area of expertise and make it their own. Although money and ambition are attractive to those on the Way of Mastery, their orientation is not necessarily materialistic. Rather, their goal is to develop a talent or skill to a level of mastery. Achieving such a lofty aim often requires these people to renounce or sacrifice other desires or interests in order to give al their energy to their prime focus. A strange blend of idealist and realist, reserve and extroversion, and the serious and comic, they are able to focus on their goal with savage intensity. Those who get in their way are likely to be trampled underfoot, usually unintentionally. However, once they perfect themselves in their chosen skill or master a particular talent, these individuals have an even more difficult task, since true mastery requires manifesting a unique vision or utilizing their talent in a unique way. Thus, ideas, ideals, and creative vision are important since they must be made into solid reality or utilized as a philosophical backdrop for the individuals on this karmic path to create form from purpose or concept. Their souls come from a place of deep subconscious awareness of the imaginal realms, the waters of life from which all creativity springs. Their task is to mold or craft such an oceanic perspective into a practical one by dispensing with the emotion attached to it, engaging only the core ideas that they fish out of those waters, and applying them to a practical end.

Honing a skill to the level of craft requires that those on the Way of Mastery embark on a path that can be likened to the artisan guilds of yore, beginning one's education in a specific field, first apprenticing oneself to a master, then graduating to more and more responsibility, and ultimately becoming a master oneself. Although the guild system is no longer operative, it serves as a model of education for those on the Way of Mastery. Once the individuals on this karmic path select an area of study, it behooves them to find a mentor akin to the masters of yore and to learn their skill from them. Searching for, engaging, and interacting with such an individual is a necessary basis of learning the mastery called for by this karmic path. Coming into this lifetime with the skills of observation and persuasion, these men and women will need to enlist both to find the best teacher for them. First, by keeping their eyes open, they will need to discover who in their circle has the talent and the capacity to serve as a mentor. then they will have to engage their gift of persuasion to talk that particular person into taking them on and, in so doing, sharing all the secrets that they possess of their profession or field.

For the men and women who travel it, this karmic path also means that, once expertise is acquired, the apprentice must eventually leave the mentor behind in order to move on to make his or her own mark in the field. Patience is key, for it will often take years to master a craft. Thus, coming into one's own on this path usually requires the ability to have the "long breath." Fortunately, those on the Way of Mastery come into this life blessed with tremendous diligence and dedication. Part of the process over the longer haul is for them to transform their self-image from one of student to one of a mature master. No matter how long it takes, when the time comes for them to go out on their own, they will know it. They will also know precisely how to put their hard-won craft to the best use.

Once they have mastered their craft by working humbly with an older and wiser person, negotiated the delicate process of leaving their mentor behind, and hung out their own shingle, so to speak, those on this karmic path will proceed smoothly and successfully in cultivating professional success. Having the native talent to persuade others, they will be good at marketing themselves. However, they are less interested in using their persuasiveness to manipulate opinion and more in presenting their work or product in the best light, letting its quality speak for itself. The next stage of maturity for these individuals may be tapping into their own Cancer III roots by learning how to return to the well of creative inspiration in order to replenish their supply of ideas. Those who walk this karmic path will come to understand what they were taught when they were young, that is, that craft is just one part of the process required for success and fulfillment; the other is finding a unique expression of that craft.

At their Cancer III root, these individuals are often stimulated by an underlying insecurity that pushes them to achieve -- or overachieve. However, the Capricorn III desire for success is fueled by a different force, that of a need to overcome obstacles. Thus, implicit in this karmic path is an urge to dominate. Those on the Way of Mastery must beware of allowing the negative aspects of their insecurity to overwhelm their personality. One lesson that must be learned by those on this karmic path is how to proceed with grace and dignity and to mature calmly in the knowledge that they will reach their goal. Otherwise, their insecurity may express itself as an overblown ego, putting off those who might help them on their way. As much as those on the Way of Mastery may love to dominate their field, this is not a path of leadership. The more successful of them will restrict their professional efforts to objective pursuits, whether commercial or artistic, that do not necessarily involve directing other people. They are much more successful at perfecting their own techniques and methods than telling others what to do, except in exceptional circumstances. The best thing for them is to work on their own. These men and women are able to challenge themselves over and over again and have no need for external stimulation to urge them forward. It is likely that in later years, they will themselves become teachers or mentors, thereby completing a karmic circle by sharing what was given to them early in their lives.

Those on this path generally set very high standards, not only for themselves and the quality of their work but also for others. Thus, their interpersonal relationships are often fraught with overly high expectations. They do best when attracting others of equal ability with whom they can work on their projects. Although many will place those on the Way of Mastery on a pedestal, rarely will this go to their heads, since they have a need to prove themselves again and again in their own eyes and those of their associates. They thrive not only on the responsibility of being a role model but also on demonstrating their ability to give of themselves in a warmhearted manner. They will always be acutely aware of how they appear to others and will cherish their image highly. The importance of their cimmitment to the standards of their craft and life is one that they gradually realize on their path; they value it highly, and it often becomes the cornerstone of their existence. Probably the hardest thing for them is being thought badly of by others or having accusations of shoddy workmanship or underhanded or immoral methods leveled against them.

A social forum for their ideas or work, whether comprised of professional colleagues or just plain friends, is just the ticket for these work-oriented individuals. In fact, in some cases it is a basic requirement for their happiness and fulfillment. They do have a rather charming "common touch" that often grants them the ability to make others laugh, or at the very least smile, at their characterization of human foibles. It is undeniable that those on the Way of Mastery will rarely surrender their need to focus their all on their work. Thus, they may give up on meeting one single life partner. So much of their energy is shared with colleagues, friends, and followers that the dynamics of such relationships can often satisfy their social and personal needs fully.

The image that best describes this karmic path is that of a student and a Zen master. The student tries to attract the master's attention and gain his approval, but to no avail. Only the student himself can achieve enlightenment, after being guided by the master or awakened by a sharp intuitive slap. Subsequently, the student takes the master's place.

Source:

The Secret Language of Destiny by Gary Goldschneider, Joost Ellfers, Joost Ellfers
Publisher: Viking Penguin
Pub. Date: October 2003
ISBN-13: 9780670032631
822pp

For one thing you need to have the required knowledge to become a master of anything.  So the first part of my goal requires learning, lots and lots of learning.  Its tricky with game design as I find myself disagreeing with individuals that have an insane amount of experience in making games.  And I think that is completely normal because games are supposed to be fun and you are supposed to be creating this fun.  Simply put its hard to label something as fun because what is fun for you might be boring or even agonizing to me.  A perfect example is Trivia games and games that require you to be loud and possibly take part in embarrassing scenarios. I hate them.  Well maybe hate is a strong word, I refuse to play them because I dislike them so much.  They don't interest me, they make me angry and I don't want to embarrass myself.  Its not fun for me to play those games but that is not to say that those style of games are not fun.

However, It is important to note that knowledge can never be enough to achieve mastery over a form of art.  Experience is a requirement and probably the second thing you need to seek after knowledge.  You need to actually put your knowledge to the test but that isn't to say experience is more valuable than knowledge.  This can be traced back to the individual and how they process information and gain knowledge and experience.  While one person can think extensively in theories others have to actually just do it.  Personally I love to create theories and play them out in my brain or with notepad or pen/pencil.  I know others prefer to just start making stuff but it really is rooted in the way your brain absorbs this information.  Either way the truth is you need experience and you need to make games.  It is important to every game designer though I prefer to think creating your own theories will play an irreplaceable part in learning the art of game design.

As you gain knowledge and experience you are also struggling to achieve efficiency.  This is one thing that pisses me off to no extent.  I know that if I had just a bit more knowledge and just a bit more experience I would be able to shave hours off each project and use that extra time to contribute in other areas.  I absolutely despise re-doing work and I can't stand the fact that after I do something I found another method that would have saved me time.  Though I know these experiences ultimately make me more efficient I just wish there was an easier way to achieve this than screwing up.  Wasted time sucks not only for you but for teammates.  To achieve mastery you have to be efficient in every sense of the word.

After you gain these things I would imagine that you could possibly master the art of game design but really when is that?  Will there ever be a time where you know you've mastered something?  And really is there more to mastery than knowledge, experience and efficiency?  There has to be.  Creativity has to mean something and of course natural talent also will be meaningful.

Kind of strange, I have only started my career as a game designer and I am trying to figure out how I can master the art.  It is almost like starting a new game.  You're the newb and you're trying to find the best way to become a high level character.  I imagine it might have a similar progression line as it would leveling up in a game.  You gain a bunch of levels at fist then later you start leveling up much more slowly and you also have to work much harder at it.  I really don't know, this is all speculation.

Money is a tool meant to transform your life in more meaningful ways. As a tool, it will facilitate the path of true fulfillment that comes from living your life intentionally and with purpose. The source of money, and of all things, exists within each of us. You hold the keys to manifesting the reality you choose- including money. You can harness this power along with creativity and knowledge and live your best life, re-invent yourself and your destiny. In ancient Greece, money gave rise to intellectual, artistic, and spiritual growth and discovery. The same is possible today. The ability to change and manifest your reality moves in direct relationship with your level of consciousness. If you desire your relationship with money to change, you need to be willing to look at your present beliefs and how you acquired them. As your awareness grows, you'll realize your own power to manifest whatever you desire.

Money possesses an energy and life of its own. It contains a duality similar to that found in our own nature. It is both spiritual and material, creative and destructive, loving and cruel. It can help us fulfill our greatest dreams or cause us to be defeated by our worst nightmares. There are two sides to every coin or bill. One side represents our individual and collective ability to master the material world. The other side represents our ability to master the spiritual dimension or inner world. It is this inner resource that we want to tap.

We cannot control money, but by understanding it, we can obtain what we need. Money's value changes not only in relation to the economy but in relation to our consciousness. Money remains a subject that is neither taught nor widely understood. Wealth doesn't make personal or psychological problems disappear; it often magnifies them. Having all the freedom and options in the world can be a terrible burden to even the most well-adjusted person, and this is even more true if you do not understand your relationship with money. Most people who win the lottery or receive some other large windfall experience extreme stress over the money and no longer have much if any of it left after 5 years.

Only one thing is real: your connection to Spirit, however you define it, and your faith in Spirit. There is no other security. Money, as much as we wish for it to, does not provide security and we can't control it. Without our connection to Spirit, we will never feel that we are loved enough, that we have enough, that we are enough. Without faith in Spirit, we won't know true fulfillment, regardless of how much money we have or what we try to fill our lives with. Wealth without consciousness is another state of poverty. The real journey is not about money; it's about YOU, who you really are, what your path and purpose are, and how to fulfill that purpose and live a life of ease, delight, flow, success, and abundance in accordance with your own definitions and values.

Today's post contains extracts from Money Magic by Deborah L. Price

What would take me to the next level in my work, without just being a "technique of the moment." I suspect it might take me deeper into the world of precision, or sewing, or traditional quilting. I'd like something demanding and stretching, something that challenges but contributes validly to my path and work.

"Technique of the moment" is an excellent way of describing those techniques that may suit someone else, but just don't work for you. The trick is deciphering the difference between not working, and needing time to master. Some things aren't worth spending time on. Others deserve a lot of practice and dedication because they will, ultimately, be so worth it!

I have come to certain conclusions about this question of how to take my work to a "higher" level. It is vital to constantly hone the techniques that I have come to learn, through practice, are effective vehicles for me. But they are only vehicles--they are the means for putting my ideas, impressions, and insights into my work. So it is important that I nurture my mind and spirit. I endeavor to be clear about my intent, to practice methods that allow me to be as aware, awake, and receptive as I can. I purposefully read. I enjoy passionate dialogue. I look for the symbolic meaning in what is happening around me--in my dreams, in my encounters with others, in the world at large. And I work at trusting that what I am receiving, generating, thinking, is worthy of revealing to the world. In other words, I seek to make a habit of loving and respecting my self.

These are the kinds of steps that I believe are needed to ascend to that esteemed "next level," or that place of greater depth, clarity, and mastery that we, as artists, yearn for our work to reflect.

Not to say that you couldn't earn a fortune in real estate, or make her beg for me, it's just that these promises imply that there's some ultimate point that you can reach. Do you really think that if you make her beg for more once, you'll always be able to make her beg for more?

You could make a great argument that this is the case, that you could reach some "best" point, especially if it's a personal best, and I would agree. My point is that it's not helpful to focus on ultimate points, especially when the road to them is "made simple" or "for dummies".

Why I don't like the marketing of programs or experiences as "mastery" is that they encourage an unworkable relationship with the concept of mastery. They make us think that the road to it [mastery] is easy [with their help], and that once attained you'll have it forever.

Congratulations you're a master, Master. Now what?

Ask Tiger Woods what happens to his mastery when he stops playing. You don't need the famous masters to test this out, take a look at anyone you consider a master and notice that they are constantly engaged with the thing that you think they are a master at.

Now the funny thing is that one of the best books out there about living your life as a practice is entitled "Mastery:the keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment." The book is by George Leonard who together with Michael Murphy founded Integral Transformative Practice or ITP. Mr. Leonard's concept of Mastery is spot on with many of the essential elements of what I mean by living your life as a practice. And as such I'm right on with his concept of Mastery. Check out George's book. It's a quick read and I would say very helpful if you want to take on living your life as a practice, or as a Master. ;-)

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