Some 2,600 years ago,
the ancient Greek poet Pindar wrote: “Become
who you are by learning who you are.” What he meant was that you are born
with a particular makeup that predisposes you to certain paths that will ultimately
take you towards your destiny.
Some people, however,
never become who they are meant to be as they conform to the tastes and
dictates of others, and they end up wearing a mask that hides their true
nature. Those of us who learn who we really are by paying attention to that
voice inside and the force within us, become what we are fated to become – an
individual with a definite life mission.
Many of the greatest
masters in history have confessed to experiencing some kind of force or voice
or sense of destiny that has guided them forward. Socrates described a voice,
his daemon, which told him what to avoid. Goethe spoke about a kind of spirit
that dwelled within him and compelled him to fulfill his destiny. Einstein
talked of an inner voice that shaped the direction of his speculations.
Leonardo da Vinci referred to some hidden force within, that drove him to
become an acute observer of nature which led to his unrivalled ability to paint
in such intricate detail. In 1781 Mozart left his family incurring his father’s
banishment as he decided to stay in Vienna where he composed his timeless
operas.
All of us are born
unique, with traits marked genetically in our DNA. Our exact genetic makeup has
never occurred before nor will it ever be repeated. This primal uniqueness
naturally wants to assert and express itself in the course of our life. When
this force is expressed fully by an individual, we refer to such a person as a
genius or a master. You and I also experience this force when we feel unusually
energized and focused. Our mind becomes completely absorbed in the task at hand
and we get answers and solutions to problems seemingly out of nowhere, as if
springing from an undefined part of us. During those moments, we enter a zone
where time, pain and limitations are irrelevant, a zone of heightened
creativity, of unbridled and endless possibilities with a greater command of
reality and of the natural forces surrounding us. It is a time when we merge
with unseen forces, a time when our internal forces forge a pact with external
forces, enabling us to make rapid, creative decisions as if having access to
the heart of life – to the divine. This is the time when the brilliant
scientist can uncover a new law of physics; the researcher discovers the cure
to a previously incurable disease. A time when the sublime artwork of a Master touches
us to the core. A time when the Olympic
athlete ignores the pain racking her body to keep going and cross the finish
line.
We admire and applaud
those people who have mastered access to the zone, that divine part within. We
call them ‘Masters’. Mastery is accessible to all of us, evidenced by the
fleeting episodes in our life when we successfully access the zone, that state
of focus, positivity, creativity. Ralph Waldo Emerson put it thus:
“A man should learn to detect and watch that
gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the luster
of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his
thought, because it is his. In every work of genius we recognize our own
rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.”
Steps to access the
zone:
·
Be silent
and go within.
·
Practice
mindfulness and observe your environment.
·
Observe
your feelings and your thoughts without judgement.
·
Scan your
body to become aware of any physical sensations.
·
Be present
in everything you do.
·
Develop
the certainty that you have the answers within.
·
Know that
you have a gift within that is seeking to emerge.
·
Give
unconditionally.
·
Immerse
yourself in literature that will inspire you towards greatness.
·
Connect
with your soul, the divine part of you.
·
Repeat
affirmations.
·
Let the
artist and magician within you come out.
What are the paths you
have used to access the zone?
