Page 66 - The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin_Neat plip book

CHAPTER 8

BREAKING STALLIONS

I think a life of ambition is like existing on a balance beam. As a chi ld, the re is

no fear, no sense for the danger of falling. The beam feels wide and stabl e, and
natural playfulness allows for creative leaps and fast learni ng. You can run
around doing somersaults and flips , always testing your self with a love for
discovery and new challenges. If you happen to fall off—no probl em, you jus t

get back on. But then, as you get older, you beco me more aware of the risk of
injury. You might crack your head or twist your knee. The beam is na rrow and
you have to stay up there. P lunging o ff woul d be h um iliating.
While a child can make the beam a playgr ound, hi gh- stress pe rformers

often transform the beam into a tight rope. Any slip becomes a crisis. Sudde nl y
you have everything to lose, the rope is swaying above a crater of fi e,
increasingly dramatic acrobatics are expect ed of you but the air feels thi ck with
projectiles aimed to dislodge your bal ance. What was once light and ins pi ring

can easily mutate into a nightmare.
A key component of high-level learni ng is cultivating a resilient awarene ss
that is the older, conscious embodi ment of a child’s playful obliviousness. My
chess career ended with me teetering on a string abo ve leapi ng flames, and in

time, through a different medium, I rediscovered a relations hi p to ambi tion
and art that has allowed me the freedo m to create like a child unde r world
championship pressure. This journey, from chi ld back to chi ld aga in, is at the
very core of my understanding of succes s.

I believe that one of the most critical factors in the transition to becoming a
conscious high performer is the deg ree to whi ch your relations hi p to your
pursuit stays in harmony with your uni que di spo sition. Ther e will ine vitabl y
be times when we need to try new ideas , release our cur rent kno wledge to take