Page 46 - The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin_Neat plip book

there were plateaus, periods when my resul ts leveled off whi le I int erna lized the
information necessary for my next gr owth spur t, but I di dn’t mind. I ha d a

burning love for chess and so I pushed thr ough the rocky periods with a can- do
attitude. I became a Chess Master a few day s after tur ni ng thi rteen, be ating
Fischer’s mark of thirteen years five mont hs . Peopl e were saying tha t I was a
future World Champion, but I didn’t hear them . I was a compet itor who kne w

winning and losing and the hair’s breadt h between. My rivals didn’t care abo ut
reputation—they just wanted to crus h m e and I had to keep i t real.
There were a few powerful moments that reinforced my young no tion tha t
glory had little to do with happines s or long-term success. I’ll never forget

walking out of the playing hall of the 1990 Elementary School Nationa l
Championships after winning the title game. Ther e were over 1,500
competitors at the event, all the stronges t young pl ayers from around the
country. I had just won the whole thi ng . . . and everythi ng felt no rmal. I stood

in the convention hall looking around. Ther e was no eupho ria, no ope ni ng of
the heavens. The world was the same as it had been a few day s be fore. I was
Josh. I had a great mom and dad and a cut e little sister Katya who was fun to
play with. I loved chess and sports and gi rls and fi hi ng. When I woul d go

back to school on Monday, my friends woul d say “Awright !” like the y di d after
hitting a jump shot, and then it woul d be in the past and we woul d go pl ay
football.