The Home of Steven Barnes
Author, Teacher, Screenwriter


Thursday, August 04, 2005

Musashi #8 Pay attention even to little things

"The Devil is in the Details" as they say.  There are moments in the learning of a skill where the large details dominate.  And then there is another point where you have mastered the larger aspects, and it is the tiny thngs that make the difference.  A teacher cannot communicate in words things for which there are no shared referants (this is one of the things that makes watching a child learn to speak so wonderful--the understanding that she is actually building a map of the world, not merely memorizing sounds like a parrot.  No offense to parrots.)
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In many cases, it is only by imitating tiny things that a teacher does that we begin to mirror the internal states that CREATES those external effects.  For swordsman Musashi, tiny adjustments in hand position or angulation could make the difference between life and death.  for a writer, the precise choice of words ("the difference between the right word and the almost-right word is like the difference between lightning and a lightning bug") can spell failure or success in a career. And in relationships, well, let's say tiny cues during sex can tell you if you're on the right track toward a gloriously orgastic experience for your partner, or an "is that all there is?" expression prior to ushering you out the door.
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We are working toward full human potential here, and while there are large structures (body, mind, spirit) there individual variations are almost infinite, and the refinements will take a lifetime to explore.  Every day, you should be lookign for ways to be more joyful, energetic, efficient, creative, loving, sharing, powerful, honest, committed.  And the way to do that is to, while keeping control of whatever large issues are easy to see, be constantly searching for those little details.  Gather them unto yourself, master them, and make that 1% per week shift that will take you to the next level.

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