Maybe I should change the title of my blog to "Become the Master of Something."  I was able to read the first few chapters of "Mastery" this week and have found so much of what I have been lacking for so long.  George Leonard is the author of this book and described three different types of people who aim to master something.  One of these is "The Dabbler," which describes a person who approaches any new hobby or interest with great enthusiasm, loves the process of getting things set up, but tends to fall off the plateau when the journey to mastery gets really difficult.  They tend to rationalize quitting with numerous excuses.

I have done this many times over my life, except in my family relationships.  I have always told myself when I quit something that I have simply lost interest in it. I haven't learned to love the plateau, which is something I am going to work on.  I know that patience is a virtue that I need to master, and that the process of becoming patient will be long and sometimes painful.  I need to learn to love the times when i'm learning and not expect instant gratification on my path of learning.