Last night, I arrived home and the Mask of Zorro was playing on television. I sat down briefly to watch the masked, caped crusader cross swords with three Mexican soldiers at the same time, as if it were just child’s play.

Zorro, though fictitious, depicts a man who worked to master the art of swordsmanship and fencing.

This made me reflect on masters I’ve witnessed in real-life.

Bruce Lee was considered a master of martial arts both on and off the big screen. Even today, when I watch Enter the Dragon, I’m mesmerized by the speed, skill and agility Mr. Lee displayed so effortlessly as a result of his mastery.

Bruce Lee’s legend lives on decades after his death, because he was a master.

Masters walk among us today. Some reveal themselves as acrobats at Cirque du Soleil. We love watching masters do their work, sometimes so much so, we’re willing to pay.

We’ll pay because…

They amaze us!

They surprise us!

They astound us!

They mirror us!

That is why the masters inspire us.

These masters have dedicated themselves to executing their craft with seemingly flawless perfection. Yet, they are human, just like you and me.

We are all given gifts. The masters simply learn how to maximize their gifts with the use of persistence, practice and dedication.

My question for reflection this week is:

What are the gifts you possess that should be developed towards mastery?

What if Lebron James didn’t spend two and a half hours in a gym every day, getting fed the basketball to shoot jump shots?

What if Maya Angelou’s gift of poetry was locked away on papers in a shoe box at the bottom of a crowded closet?

What if Steven Spielberg stopped shooting movies because 8mm film became obsolete?

What if Adele stopped singing after needing surgery on her throat and never gave us her sophomore album, 21.

Without dedication and practice, our gifts remain good qualities and skills that are never exposed to mastery and greatness!

We benefit from the gifts these masters continue to bring.

What gifts do you have, that if developed, will benefit the countless many?

We haven’t all been gifted to write poetry and sing, but some of us have a gift of engineering. Others have gifts of customer service, sales or nursing.

What gifts do you have? Aren’t they worth mastering?

I think so…me and the world await.

In the meantime…

Stay inspired, it’s a lifestyle choice!