Don't Idolize.... Emulate!

i·dol·ize

ˈīdlˌīz/

verb

1. admire, revere, or love greatly or excessively.

   
   

   "he idolized his mother"

   
   

   synonyms:

   hero-worship, worship, revere, venerate, deify, lionize, overpraise;  stand in awe of, reverence, look up to, admire, adore, exalt;  informalput on a pedestal "the kids idolize their fighter-pilot father"

2. em·u·late

   ˈemyəˌlāt/

   verb

   1. match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation.

      
      

      "lesser men trying to emulate his greatness"

      
      

      synonyms:

      imitate, copy, mirror, echo, follow, model oneself on; More

      • imitate.

        
        

        "hers is not a hairstyle I wish to emulate"
      • COMPUTING

        reproduce the function or action of (a different computer, software system, etc.).

   

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Good day to you Discovery Readers and Life Enhancers and Optimizers!

I am coming to you this day from the State of New Mexico but living in a State of Pain from the 2 missing discs in the L4 and L5 position of my lower back.

Perhaps the reason why I haven't been posting regularly for a while... 

Or at least it's an excuse.

And that's basically all it is - an excuse. 

It's been a while since I've been in this kind of pain - like since the Jan - March 2016 period when my left knee finally gave out on me.

Yeah - it's been a while... for a lot of things...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=araU0fZj6oQ

I am having to make some adjustments to deal with the stabbing pain in my lower back but as those that know me know -

Adapt, Modify and Overcome....

Is a Daily Tenet and Practice in My Life.

And as those same chosen few know -

I believe there is No Pleasure without Pain.

In fact, the Path to Greater Planes of Pleasure almost always pass through flat and desolate Plains of Pain!

How's that for a little Journey across the Terrains of Time and Space!!!

Anyway - enough of the personal bantering and bitching -

We got Days to Conquer, Love to Experience, Life to Live and Lessons to Learn and Apply...

So let's get this Beautiful Breast and Hard Nipple of a Post started and See what Happens!

"Don't Idolize... Emulate!" - what does that mean anyway?

Well - I listed a couple of definitions above to get us started on this discussion.

Here's the set-up for this concept.

I have had the pleasure of being associated with, working with and around, observing and getting to know Many People in my Life that were better than me at a lot of things.

I work out with this guy at Praxis - thepraxislab.com - who is literally a World-Class athlete having competed in the CrossFit Games with the likes of Rich Froenig - and even beating the then World Champion in an event.

And let me just say this guy is a Physical Specimen - he is Bad Ass AND Looks Bad Ass - which as you know is right up my alley - cause I'm all about looking good!

Anyway - this guy is known for having really good technique in ALL of the CrossFit movements - doesn't matter what you're talking about - Muscle-Ups, Handstand Walks, Snatches, Back Squats, Rowing, Toes to Bar, Double Unders....

Doesn't matter what it is - this guy is good at it and not only good at it - but does the movements correctly and efficiently and....

Makes it look easy.

And I hear people say - Yeah - he's a Natural Athlete, he's got good genetics, he's blah blah blah....

And yet I see the guy in there every day - Practicing these techniques with light weights, going through the motions over and over, putting in the time...

And then building up each movement to maximum weight and reps and doing it...

Over and Over again!

Doing that whole 10000 hours of Deliberate Practice that is deemed necessary in ALL difficult endeavors and vocations to become proficient at it.

Opinions differ widely on the need for the "10000 hours" but my experience has been that this is the right "order of magnitude" for becoming proficient at any difficult field or activity -

http://www.businessinsider.com/anders-ericsson-how-to-become-an-expert-at-anything-2016-6

One of the quantitative measures I use to test this theory is the number of hours in a "standard work year" which is 2080 hours:

40 hours per week * 52 weeks per year = 2080 work hours per year

Multiply 2080 work hours per year X 5 years and you get....

10400 hours!

And it took me 4 years of training in college (which was way more than 2080 hours each year) and a year of practical, functional work in the field before I became a proficient Chemical Engineer.

So back to my proficient CrossFit athlete example.

I hear people say - Wow! That guy is Great.  I wish I could do this and that like that guy does.

And some people probably even put this guy on a pedestal and look at him like some Ebony Greek God...

Which is Ok I guess - but I have a different take on it.

I look at this guy and what he does and how he does it and I say -

Damn - this guy has a whole Work Process associated with his Exceptional Performance and Proficiency of Movement and Strength!

He dissects, studies, analyzes and breaks down every movement into many little movements and videos himself doing these movements and assesses and corrects and practices the nuances and the angles and the forces involved.

And does it every day for weeks and months and years....

Hmmmm.... Very interesting.

Moving on...

To another field and another example.

Art... or more importantly - the Creation of an Art Form.

Santa Fe is arguably one of the premier points of assimilation, creation and market for many different mediums of Art.

Painting, Sculpting, Clothes, Jewelry.

And I have been lucky and privileged enough to meet several members of this high society who are acclaimed Artists, Sculptors and Jewelers -

The Creators of Something Beautiful and Significant and Aesthetically Appealing and Moving....

From Nothing.

Except their Imagination and Skills as an Artist.

And you know me - being the Technician I am - as I get to know these Incredible Individuals - I start asking questions about -

What they do and...

How they do it.

And without exception, as they describe their Art Form, their Artful Vocation, their Talent and their Passion, the Revelation and Reality of their Art is that....

It is very technical in nature - they each have their own Work Process - their own detailed method of breaking down the Final Result and Outcome of Beauty and Artistic Value into....

Many different pieces and parts utilizing their own practiced and developed techniques and inspirations, examples and physical representations of the New Idea, Painting, Sculpture or other Art Form they are creating.

And they have spent a Lifetime perfecting it....

More than 10000 hours of deliberate practice! 

So what's the takeaway from all this?

I guess for me, it's something like less of a Shock and Awe type of response and more of a realization that if you want to do something well or be great at something or you see someone that does something you want to do or looks like you want to look like...

Realize they didn't get to that level of Activity, Performance or Proficiency Overnight or by Chance.

They Worked at it and they Worked at in an Organized, Progressive, Developing and Deliberate Way.

There is No Secret to their Success... There is no Deity to their Day!

Don't put them on a Pedestal! Don't look at them and simply Marvel and Worship!

Look at them and Study their Methods and Learn from their Approach and then try to Apply what You Observe and Learn to your own Pursuit of Excellence.

In other Words....

Don't Idolize.... Emulate!!!