上个周末，小家伙照例上课(可怜的)，等候期间读了一篇文章，觉得不错，颇为感怀，文章名为《After 15 Years of Practice》，不太长，也是挺有意思的。Derek自小喜欢音乐并有一个成为伟大歌手的梦想，不过，当时的他，高音不行，声线也差，所有知晓他的梦想的所谓旁人都认为这小伙子不合适成为歌手。这哥们一头扎了进去，坚持练习不辍，期间仍是不断被人质疑，他不为所动，依旧孤独地行走，终于，15年后，他成了歌手，而且是很有实力很成功的那种。讽刺的是，在成功的光环下，大家开始交口称赞他天赋很高，他的能力是与生俱来的。“十年寒窗无人问，一朝成名天下闻。”，感觉和这句俗语描绘的景象十分相似，毕竟，闭门苦修的孤独是无人理会的，这大约就说得比较贴切。
对于成功者，世人的目光多是盲从，从而选择性地遗忘或忽略一些事实，只会下意识地读取他们想看的一面。如果还记得小学课文《卖油翁》，或者《列子。汤问》中的典故，《纪昌学箭》，概括起来，短短六个字，“无他，唯手熟尔”，不外如是。手熟尔，三字而已，背后是无数次的习练，无数次重复相同的动作，才能在人前故作轻松，莞而一笑，睥睨轻言：“无他，唯手熟尔”！
不管喜欢还是讨厌，长年累月的坚持某一事某一物某一运动，并将之变为喜好，进而转变为能力，这也是一种能力的罢？不过，也有那么一些人，明知前方是错误的方向，也知道自己正走在错误的路上，却坚持一条道走到黑。秉持这种执念的人，通常不会称之勇敢，而是一种愚蠢。比如遍地开花的名为消费贷、小额贷实为高利贷的各种套路贷，不知道多少人落入彀中，难以脱身。是利欲熏心、短视、智商不够、还是贪念所致?可能兼而有之。见过身边的一些人，居然借高利贷投注六合彩，梦想一夜暴富，越赌越输，越输越赌，如此执念， 如此清奇的脑回路，叹为观止。而后，不出意料地陷入泥沼，进而连累所有的亲友。这与媒体上连篇累牍报道的故事情节一模一样，大而化之，经济领域的灰犀牛事件与之并无二致。可是，这世上有后悔药吗？没有的。哀其不幸、怒其不争，感同身受又如何，何其慨叹！
最近还重温了王家卫的《一代宗师》，这片子该怎么归类呢？武侠外衣的包装下探寻一段逝去的历史镜像，其内核算是一部典型的文艺片吧。其中的很多人物脸谱、情节、台词在记忆里都开始模糊了。不过还是有些个场景记得比较清晰：中年叶问坐在凳子上，手里夹着一根烟，烟雾缭绕，缓缓上升，柔和昏暗的光影下，他的脸也渐渐隐在那一团氤氲里，眼中有一种说不清道不明的意味。宫二和他的一段对话，说起武学的境界，“见自己，见天地，见众生！”，其实，这何尝又不是也表达了导演对一个人所必经的成长过程的理解和表述呢？
见自己，如何见得？看似最简单的第一阶段，其实很大一部分人终其一生不得其门而入。囿于一方小天地，乱花已经迷了眼，沉没在各种欲望之中，在成长的第一阶段便已停滞不前，兜兜转转，迷失在自己的九宫格里。曾看过一点宗教经文，包括不少鸡汤文，其首先宣扬的便是认识自己，原因大约便是如此？笑清风，见自己。。。。。。
跳出小圈子，行走天地间。古人倡导并身体力行的行万里路读万卷书，对于网络资讯无比发达的今天，那是多么久远的美好记忆。生于天地间，谁都会老去，见过天地，格局便宽。于是叹曰：人生若只如初见，何事秋风悲画扇。
有时也会问自己，人生怎会若如初见呢? 因为到了后来再有相会，一定会是面目全非的。见过天地，老来怀梦，尚有赤子之心否？夜来幽梦忽还乡，谁不忆少年事，谁人又使泪满襟? 穿过时光隧道，尽头那处的你我与今日不太一样了。我们还能大笑大哭吗? 笑过哭过，前面所有的坚持和等待，都会在最后被认为值得?谁知道呢。见天地、见格局、见人生，便是如此。
见众生。这个境界有点遥远。何以达境？人生无惑，有大格局，有完整的普世价值观。可以为师，可以传道授业解惑，然后开宗立派，万世之表。能到达这一高度，于普通人而言，似是高不可攀。常人并非没有大智慧，缺的是坚忍不拔的心。不然的话，西去取经的唐三藏、东渡传佛的鉴真，便会多如过江之鲫了。“此心光明，亦复何言。”，心学之王阳明弥留之际多留的八个字，也是道出了“见众生”之真谛。
冬日午后，阳光甚好，斜斜歪在沙发上，闲来无事乱翻书，不见清风乱拂尘。读文有感，遂记之。
年关将近，城里人车渐少，小区里喧闹的童稚之音已是沉寂，而家中小儿却又开始撒欢。。。
春有百花秋有月，夏有凉风冬有雪；若无闲事挂心头，便是人间好时节。
附文：
After 15 Years of Practice
By Derek Sivers
Since the age of 14, I was determined to be a great singer. But my pitch was bad, my tone was bad, and everyone said I was just not a singer.
At 17, I started taking voice lessons and practicing two hours every night. I’d go into a soundproof room to sing long tones, scales, arpeggios, and specific song phrases over and over.
At 18, I started touring, performing two to four shows a week, always as the lead singer. Often they were outdoor shows, sometimes with no PA system at all, so I really had to learn how to project to be heard.
At 19, I was still practicing two hours a night, but still having a problem with pitch. People kept telling me I was just not a singer — that I should give it up, and find a real singer.
Then I heard Warren Senders singing Indian vocal music, and his pitch was so perfect, I went rushing up to him afterwards to ask how he did it. “How are you able to hit the notes so perfectly dead-on? Are you just naturally good at this?”
He said, “No! When I first started singing, not only was I not within an inch of the note — I wasn’t within a football field of the note! I was horrible!”
“So how did you do it?”
He jabbed a finger in my chest, and looked me in the eye. “Practice. Thousands of hours of practice, and eventually I got it. I can show you how.”
That year, I took a bus out to his house every Wednesday night, and he taught me some esoteric ways of thinking about singing.
I continued touring for years, always as the lead singer — still taking voice lessons with different teachers in different cities — still practicing tone, scales and trouble spots for an hour every night.
At 25, I recorded my first album. When I gave it to a record producer that was a real mentor to me, he gave it a focused listen then said, “Derek, you’re just not a singer. You really need to stop trying. Admit you’re a songwriter, and find a real singer.”
But I bounced away from that meeting unfazed. I knew I just had more work to do. I toured for three more years after that, always pushing, always practicing, always determined to be a great singer.
At 28, I started noticing that my voice was getting good! I recorded a few new songs, and for the first time, I really liked the vocals!
At 29, I had done it. After 15 years of practice, and about a thousand live shows, I was finally a good singer, at least by my own standards. You can judge for yourself at sivers.org/music, where my old recordings are at the bottom, and new recordings are at the top.
Someone who heard me for the first time said, “Singing is a gift you’re either born with or you’re not. You’re lucky. You were born with it!”
I had to remember this story now because I’m spending most of my time doing new things I’m not good at. It’s overwhelming to feel so in awe of the people who seem to do it naturally. I’m just such a beginner. It may take me another 15 years, but I’m determined.