Mastery - To What End?

Mastery - To What End? (by Bob Spensley)

Jonathan Livingston Seagull was a timely inspiration to me when I was 19 years old and scratching the surface at looking deeper. In hindsight, that little book written in the 60s about a seagull trying to learn about life and flight was one of the first illuminations that influenced me to want to become my best self - without anyone else telling me to. What I didn’t know until recently is that a fourth part of that book was released in 2014; it’s about what happened to that same flock of seagulls hundreds of years later. The author, Richard Bach, was only inspired to publish it after having a near death experience in his 70s.

It’s on the theme of questioning the meaning of life - it’s asking ourselves why we would keep striving to be our best when we don’t see a clear purpose in the big picture.

This question is universal. It can even show up in professional trainings. To illustrate this, we can ask ourselves, "what is the drive for people to take courses?". Do some enrol just to get a certificate, or because they feel somehow forced by circumstance to be there? If so, to what end does this learning serve? We heard someone say, “I don’t care to become a master at my profession; I just want to be good enough to earn a living, and spend my quality time away from work.” It’s reasonable to want to support a family and have work/life balance, who doesn’t want that? But it also seems to me to be a little bit sad - lacking the natural joy that one gets from thriving. Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a bird that delights in the exhilarating beauty of excellence, for excellence sake. As therapists and teachers, we spend so many hours supporting and influencing others, isn’t there a thrill (a joy within ourselves) to be constantly improving at our craft? Aside from the benefits to our clients and colleagues with everything we learn, we benefit ourselves the most by the expansion and exercise of our brain in meaningful pursuits.

I asked Kim and Hilary what they feel helps them to reconnect to the thrill of their profession. What reminds them of why they’re doing it in the first place, what helps them connect to the purpose of why they are OTs and Teachers? Kim’s answer, “What makes me excited is watching people shift into alignment into themselves with joy and purpose and peace.” Hilary added “The opportunity to create moments where people feel heard, seen, and valued is what keeps my cup filled.”

Even in a pandemic, especially in a pandemic (when when we’re tired and the future is decidedly uncertain), we may be questioning the meaning of it all. Why master anything? We have to figure that out for ourselves.

Whenever we might need a boost, however, I suggest we look to the sky. We might see Jon. And when we do see moments of glory in our chosen professions, LET’S ENJOY EVERY SECOND.