上個周末，小家伙照例上課(可憐的)，等候期間讀了一篇文章，覺得不錯，頗為感懷，文章名為《After 15 Years of Practice》，不太長，也是挺有意思的。Derek自小喜歡音樂并有一個成為偉大歌手的夢想，不過，當時的他，高音不行，聲線也差，所有知曉他的夢想的所謂旁人都認為這小伙子不合適成為歌手。這哥們一頭扎了進去，堅持練習不輟，期間仍是不斷被人質疑，他不為所動，依舊孤獨地行走，終于，15年后，他成了歌手，而且是很有實力很成功的那種。諷刺的是，在成功的光環下，大家開始交口稱贊他天賦很高，他的能力是與生俱來的。“十年寒窗無人問，一朝成名天下聞。”，感覺和這句俗語描繪的景象十分相似，畢竟，閉門苦修的孤獨是無人理會的，這大約就說得比較貼切。
對于成功者，世人的目光多是盲從，從而選擇性地遺忘或忽略一些事實，只會下意識地讀取他們想看的一面。如果還記得小學課文《賣油翁》，或者《列子。湯問》中的典故，《紀昌學箭》，概括起來，短短六個字，“無他，唯手熟爾”，不外如是。手熟爾，三字而已，背后是無數次的習練，無數次重復相同的動作，才能在人前故作輕松，莞而一笑，睥睨輕言：“無他，唯手熟爾”！
不管喜歡還是討厭，長年累月的堅持某一事某一物某一運動，并將之變為喜好，進而轉變為能力，這也是一種能力的罷？不過，也有那么一些人，明知前方是錯誤的方向，也知道自己正走在錯誤的路上，卻堅持一條道走到黑。秉持這種執念的人，通常不會稱之勇敢，而是一種愚蠢。比如遍地開花的名為消費貸、小額貸實為高利貸的各種套路貸，不知道多少人落入彀中，難以脫身。是利欲熏心、短視、智商不夠、還是貪念所致?可能兼而有之。見過身邊的一些人，居然借高利貸投注六合彩，夢想一夜暴富，越賭越輸，越輸越賭，如此執念， 如此清奇的腦回路，嘆為觀止。而后，不出意料地陷入泥沼，進而連累所有的親友。這與媒體上連篇累牘報道的故事情節一模一樣，大而化之，經濟領域的灰犀牛事件與之并無二致。可是，這世上有后悔藥嗎？沒有的。哀其不幸、怒其不爭，感同身受又如何，何其慨嘆！
最近還重溫了王家衛的《一代宗師》，這片子該怎么歸類呢？武俠外衣的包裝下探尋一段逝去的歷史鏡像，其內核算是一部典型的文藝片吧。其中的很多人物臉譜、情節、臺詞在記憶里都開始模糊了。不過還是有些個場景記得比較清晰：中年葉問坐在凳子上，手里夾著一根煙，煙霧繚繞，緩緩上升，柔和昏暗的光影下，他的臉也漸漸隱在那一團氤氳里，眼中有一種說不清道不明的意味。宮二和他的一段對話，說起武學的境界，“見自己，見天地，見眾生！”，其實，這何嘗又不是也表達了導演對一個人所必經的成長過程的理解和表述呢？
見自己，如何見得？看似最簡單的第一階段，其實很大一部分人終其一生不得其門而入。囿于一方小天地，亂花已經迷了眼，沉沒在各種欲望之中，在成長的第一階段便已停滯不前，兜兜轉轉，迷失在自己的九宮格里。曾看過一點宗教經文，包括不少雞湯文，其首先宣揚的便是認識自己，原因大約便是如此？笑清風，見自己。。。。。。
跳出小圈子，行走天地間。古人倡導并身體力行的行萬里路讀萬卷書，對于網絡資訊無比發達的今天，那是多么久遠的美好記憶。生于天地間，誰都會老去，見過天地，格局便寬。于是嘆曰：人生若只如初見，何事秋風悲畫扇。
有時也會問自己，人生怎會若如初見呢? 因為到了后來再有相會，一定會是面目全非的。見過天地，老來懷夢，尚有赤子之心否？夜來幽夢忽還鄉，誰不憶少年事，誰人又使淚滿襟? 穿過時光隧道，盡頭那處的你我與今日不太一樣了。我們還能大笑大哭嗎? 笑過哭過，前面所有的堅持和等待，都會在最后被認為值得?誰知道呢。見天地、見格局、見人生，便是如此。
見眾生。這個境界有點遙遠。何以達境？人生無惑，有大格局，有完整的普世價值觀。可以為師，可以傳道授業解惑，然后開宗立派，萬世之表。能到達這一高度，于普通人而言，似是高不可攀。常人并非沒有大智慧，缺的是堅忍不拔的心。不然的話，西去取經的唐三藏、東渡傳佛的鑒真，便會多如過江之鯽了。“此心光明，亦復何言。”，心學之王陽明彌留之際多留的八個字，也是道出了“見眾生”之真諦。
冬日午后，陽光甚好，斜斜歪在沙發上，閑來無事亂翻書，不見清風亂拂塵。讀文有感，遂記之。
年關將近，城里人車漸少，小區里喧鬧的童稚之音已是沉寂，而家中小兒卻又開始撒歡。。。
春有百花秋有月，夏有涼風冬有雪；若無閑事掛心頭，便是人間好時節。
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.
