First and foremost do not set yourself up for failure, take into account what you are willing to do or how hard you are willing to work to achieve your goal. If you say you want to be like our living masters or even our founders then understand what it takes to do it and do it. All master will tell you that you must “taste the bitter fruit” or work hard and do it everyday without fail.
If you are only willing to work ½ as hard as you are told is necessary to reach those levels then be honest with yourself so that you do not build in disappointment and frustration into your art that is unfounded. If you work only ½ as hard it will take longer but even at that if you do not do it every day it will be longer still. Don’t aim at a goal without having the passion to walk the long road it takes to get to that point.
Mastery at any level can only be achieved but living and practicing with realistic goals and routines. If you practice to be healthy and flexible for the rest of your life and do your form every day you will gain the mastery of Taiji at that level. If you practice to reduce or eliminate stress and are able to do so everyday then you have gained mastery at that level.
Master of Taiji is about mastery of self. You start to change and improve those things in your body, mind, spirit and heart that do not allow you to explore and reach your full potential at any moment. If you find this full commitment makes your Taiji practice harder or interferes with you consistency then just do it and have fun keeping in mind the principles and proper form and you will go far.
Westerns have too many built in negative thought patterns to anything they are trying to learn or do. The idea of wrong must be taken out of your practice; the idea of not good enough must leave your Taiji practice.
If you even attempt to do Taiji its wonderful effects are already working and your attempt is something to be celebrated. If you stop and think how many friends that you had before you started doing Taiji or have now tried Taiji? Not many I would say so you have already accomplished something, you have chosen to make a healthy change in your life, body, mind, spirit and heart.
Taiji should always be fun, you should feel free to be a play like a child, no adults allowed in your practice to many rules do they bring with them. Let your inner child have fun, you are allowed.
