Many of us spend countless hours trying to perfect that which we seek to be great at - be it our work, a musical talent, a sport, etc. When you are truly passionate about something, you'll work hard to excel at it. You'll put in the countless hours that it takes to master it, because you not only seek to better your game, but you just love it that much.
And many who truly want to trancend know that when they "play" with someone better than themselves, it's a surefire way to improve. We gain from their experience, talent and/or insights without having to live through the struggles they may have to achieve their level of mastery.
Recall the story of Roger Bannister. In 1952, this British runner set out to set a record in the Helsinki Olympics. He failed to achieve his goal. So sure was he that he could break the four minute mile, a feat unheard of at that time, that he committed himself to this seemingly unthinkable goal. And on May 6, 1954, at a track in Oxford, he clocked at 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds. That record last only 46 days. He achieved what others in his field had deemed impossible, and made it a reality. He raised the bar, and in doing so raised the game of everyone in his sport to achieve more.
With Bannister, runners sought to beat that new record as a way of upping their own games, and setting a new bar. Sometimes, it's completely unexpected. Check out this incredible video (see link below) of stellar jazz singer Lalah Hathaway. The band she is singing with is already clearly talented. And then if you watch the video, you watch something magical happen. Around 6:10 in the video, she goes into the zone. She ups her own phenomenal game, and in the process, ups that of those of the band. You watch them immediately react to her brilliance, and turn up the dial on their own game in response. Thanks to my friend who sent me the link; rarely do you see something like that captured in such an amazing way.
Enjoy. Snarky Puppy featuring Lalah Hathaway - Something (Family Dinner)
Who's upped your game lately?
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