Whatever you do, do it as a master, not as a slave.

Skill follows the rules, talent breaks the rules, mastery shatters the rules, but genius makes its own rules.

If you want to shine, sit before a lamp; if you want to shine brighter, sit before a fire; but if you want to shine the brightest, sit before a sage.

Roses do not bloom hurriedly; for beauty, like any masterpiece, takes time to blossom.

You become the master of what you master.

A step towards what you fear is a mile towards mastering it.

One who conquers fear cannot be conquered by anyone.

One who conquers fear conquers his greatest enemy.

Mastery is not a function of genius or talent. It is a function of time and intense focus applied to a particular field of knowledge. But there is another element, an X factor that Masters inevitably possess, that seems mystical but that is accessible to us all. Whatever field of activity we are involved in, there is generally an accepted path to the top. It is a path that others followed, and because we are conformist creatures, most of us opt for this conventional route. But Masters have a strong inner guiding system and a high level of self-awareness. What has suited others in the past does not suit them, and they know that trying to fit into a conventional mold would only lead to a dampening of spirit, the reality they seek eluding them. And so inevitably, these Masters, as they progress on their career paths, make a choice at a key moment in their lives: they decide to forge their own route, one that others will see as unconventional, but that suits their own spirit and rhythms and leads them closer to discovering the hidden truths of their objects of study. This key choice takes self-confidence and self-awarenes–the X factor that is necessary for attaining mastery...

Fear can only be mastered outside of your comfort zone.