Mastery as a core principle:
Recently, I was humbled to hear one of the most beautiful expressions of this principle.
It was from our proofreader, Patty Parkinson, during a quarterly Mountaintop Meeting going through a StrengthsFinder 2.0 exercise. Patty is a very talented and experienced editor who has worked on both the word-side and the design-side of the creative process. This is how she explained her career choice to focus on editing:
“I love being a part of the creative process, but what I understand is that a grammatical error within a brilliant paragraph, or a typo on a beautifully designed graphic, doesn’t just distract the reader. It ruins the experience and derails the message. It breaks the connection. So while I know that many would find my job tedious, I see the honor in my work, because I am protecting the connection between the creator and the audience. It’s important.”
I frequently think of Patty’s comment, because it embodies why mastery matters. Mastery allows you to serve the world through your work … to think of others and to allow that to infuse your efforts every day and refuel your focus. Mastery does not worry over the opinion of others, nor does it wallow in the minutiae of our responsibilities. Mastery elevates all of our efforts, because of the heart that drives it.
Thank you, Patty, for reminding all of us what mastery looks like in practice. I am humbled by your commitment and re-inspired to always bring my best. Onward and Upward!
