il Giardino Romantico

"I've come to realize that what I am best at is not Tai Chi, and it is not chess.  What I am best at is the art of learning."

This opening is a quote from the author of the book 'The Art of Learning", Josh Waitzkin.  He is an eight-time National Chess Champion in his youth and has now accumulated twenty-one National Championship titles, several World Championship titles in martial arts. 

It may seem easy for someone like Josh to say almost anything he wants.  He was a child chess prodigy, and a Tai Chi World Champion.  With this kind of accomplishment, you could basically write a book about anything, and make big bucks off it.  However, Josh Waitzkin does not over glorify his accomplishments, quite on the contrary, he shares with us the story of his failures in life and how he has used that to accomplish higher goals, greater achievements.

My friend told me about this book a few months ago.  He plays chess and practices Tai Chi himself.  He had been following Josh's career for quite a while, and came across an article in the newspaper one day and learned about his new book.  He went out to several bookstores to search for the book.  After he got hold of a copy, he read it in two sittings.

I saw the book in his bedroom, and remembered the story he related to me earlier.  I opened it and read a few pages out of curiosity.  And I couldn't stop.  Every day, after lunch, I would go to a coffee shop and study for a few hours before I set off for work in the afternoon.  The day after I borrowed the book from my friend, I woke up with a terrible headache.  Not allowing it to hinder my daily routine, I went off to the coffee shop to study like I always did.  The music from the coffee shop, the nearby barber's, and an Indian pastry shop became annoyingly irritating.  I could study no longer.  I put away my books, and started reading The Art of Learning.  I had thirty minutes left till I had to leave.  I put down the book after forty. 

It is extremely inspirational because in his book, Josh Waitzkin portrays himself, not as a hero, but as a normal, ordinary human being.  Learn the process through which he had come to who he is today.  Josh Waitzkin speaks to every reader as though he were right in front of them.  The reader will feel connected and inspired while he relates the story of his life.  Learn from him, how he had learned and mastered the art of chess and the discipline of Tai Chi.  Apply that into your own life. 

The essence of this book is how he uses adversities to his advantage.  While most people groan, mumble and complain about obstacles that come in their way, thwarting them, Josh overcomes his obstacles by using these obstacles as a part of his training to become stronger.  He has learned how to rid distractions by become apart of the distraction, which in turn elevates his level of concentration. 

True.  Not all of us are chess champions.  Most of you who are reading this article from the eastern hemisphere probably don't even know how to play chess. Even if you do, you probably know next to nothing about Tai Chi.  This is not a book on how to become a chess champion.  Neither is this a book on how to train yourself through Tai Chi.  This is a book about learning.  The learning of not a particular art or discipline, but the learning from your environment and how to incorporate everything around you into a lesson for life. 

Adversities and obstacles will no longer badger you.  Because they will be your teachers.  The lesson does not end at page 262.  In fact, it never ends.


Josh Waitzkin talks about The Art of Learning