I’ve been reading the book “Mastery” by Robert Green, the bestselling author of the book “The 48 Laws of Power.” It’s really a fascinating study of creativity, genius, and the rules for mastering any field of study or area of concentration. The book contains countless in-depth features of the lives of top executives, artists, and musicians throughout history. And, it follows up each feature with analysis that further explains the process of becoming a master.
One big component of the mindset of a master is the capacity for discipline and focus while still maintaining a healthy amount of child-like wonder. It’s a state of being where all things are possible, any idea should be considered before discarding, and a basic attitude of fun and enjoyment in the creative process itself. It’s a developed talent for using your rational adult mind to keep you focused on a desired result (piece of music, work of art, book, etc.) while keeping things fresh and alive at the same time.
As I read this, I thought about what child-like really means and made some determinations. I’m in good shape if child-like means: I feel happy when bad people get what they have coming to them… Feel sad when someone helpless gets hurt… When I get a simple joy from playing with my 2 and 4 year old nephews and can still relate to their intellectual level as we talk about cookies and build Lego houses… Like chocolate milk and root beer floats… Still find farts funny… Like old music, rides in the car with the windows open and the heat on, sitting outside during a snow storm, playing pranks on friends where no one gets really hurt, telling a joke just to make someone laugh while holding no ulterior motive to get something from them – I just wanted to be funny and share it with whoever was with me at the time.
If child-like means having the capacity to watch bees during the day and listen to the crickets at night… Like ghost stories, campfires, and the comfy feeling of a new pair of shoes… The smell of a pretty girl’s hair or the the feeling of the sun on your face. I think I’m OK.
Basically, child-like to me is caring about life but not so much that you lose your faith in its basic goodness nor hold onto anything in it so tightly that you crush it. It’s like holding a small bird in your hands. Too tight a grip and you’ll kill it. Too loose, and it will get away. It means being just right.
