The Professional

shows up every day
stays on the job all day
commits to the long haul
sets the stakes high, sees they’re real
is patient
seeks order
demystifies
acts in the face of fear
accepts no excuses
plays it as it lays
is prepared
doesn’t show off
masters technique
asks for help
doesn’t take failure — or success — personally
doesn’t identify with his or her instrument
endures adversity
self-validates
reinvents herself
is known by other professionals
is courageous in sacrifice — enduring criticism, blame, envy
works while others tweet
is ruthless with himself, and compassionate; no perfectionism
lives in the present
defers gratification
doesn’t wait for inspiration
doesn’t give his power away
helps others
is neither groupie nor icon
doesn’t seek the praise of the praised or proximity to the powerful or famous

— Steven Pressfield, from Turning Pro, page 90

Recent

Ensamples

Among the worst things about The Slap is how it has fed self-righteousness in all but the two participants, and they already had it or

Lipstick

Pig is revelation. Revealing is when what’s here is hidden then seen. It’s really many individual ones, though widely considered they’re the same, and all

Not For Teacher

There’s an unfortunate instructor-y thing where the guy on stage [I’ve found it’s usually a male doing this] asks a question he already knows the

Diminishing Me

You’d think a guy’d remember if it was the first time he’d seen a body but I didn’t not at first. [Hadda chance to graduate

Trilemma

Bear no malice nor ill-will to any man living, for either the man is good, or naught: if he be good, and I hate him,

Get In The Boat

You’re in this boat. I’m going to say the boat is our life in Christ, though over time the boat image, the water metaphor, has

16 Precepts

You have asked me how to pursue learning. I pass this along in response — Move from the easier to the difficult Be cautious of speech Be

Do Piece — Anger (Buechner)

Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll

One Day One

The birds start by 0315 here, which is when I awoke this morning. They didn’t do it, make me wake-up, they’re not roosters after all,

Shock And Ow

I’ve had many exchanges over the years where my statement about something was taken as surprise at the event rather than what it was —

Protective Covering

A wayback bit of my memory mentions to me how George Thorogood and Bob Seger each felt, responded, etc., when asked to play their single

Inconvenient Truth

Near the start of The Shawshank Redemption Andy Dufresne is on the witness stand, losing a battle for his life he will ultimately win. The

Persistence of three or five years