The Master, The Pupil, and the Drop of Spirit
Fady El Sayah
Business Mentor @ AUB Innovation Park | Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurship
Forty years ago, on an early Tuesday morning, as I was making my way to school, I happened to pass by the house of our neighbor—a man who, by all accounts, was not merely a connoisseur but a true master of spirits. He didn’t just know how to taste and treat them; he understood the profound art of savoring life itself through every sip, every moment. His house was only a short walk from ours, and I’d often glimpse him enjoying his unique rituals with a reverence that bordered on sacred.
That morning, as the sun began its slow ascent, I found him on his balcony, relishing a breakfast of fried eggs, olives, tomatoes, and, of course, a small glass of dry arak—a traditional Lebanese spirit. Intrigued, I sat by his side, drawn in by the quiet poetry of the scene. He invited me to taste it. The first sip was bracing, almost overwhelming, but as I let it settle on my palate, I began to sense the delicate nuances, the warmth that bloomed after each taste. Sip by sip, I learned not only to appreciate arak but to distinguish the genuine from the commercial, to recognize the soul hidden in a simple glass.
Curious, I asked him, “Why dry arak or Arak without water?” He paused, looked at me with a knowing smile, and offered a phrase that would echo in my mind for decades: “The difference between the master and the pupil is a drop of spirit.”
That single phrase became a guiding whisper throughout my life. It resurfaced four months ago, as I launched a new recruiting campaign to reach clients beyond borders. Among the many candidates I met, one young woman stood out—a pupil willing to journey the path to mastery, to learn the craft, and to sip the risky, exhilarating cup of entrepreneurial spirit I’d always offered my own daughters. Over the past four months, she not only absorbed every tactic and technique I shared, but she also assembled a team of ten ambitious pupils, each one hungry to become a master in their own right.
领英推荐
Today, during our briefing, she encountered a small hiccup. I resolved it in less than ten seconds, and she looked at me, intrigued, asking how I knew what to do so instinctively. I replied with the same words that had once guided me: “The difference between the master and the pupil is a drop of spirit.” Her curiosity piqued, and I shared with her the story I’m now telling you.
As we age, we refine, much like the spirits we learn to appreciate. With every passing year, wisdom deepens, mastery grows, and we carry with us a drop of spirit that distinguishes a life fully lived. So here’s to more dry spirits yet to come and to learning the art of mastery as the years unfold.
Cheers to the journey—and to the spirit within each of us that grows stronger with time.
Founder Lebanon CACM (NGO)
2 周May all your coming days be blessed dear Fady.
Uber
2 周Loving, maturity, passion and Experience!