Excellence: how did I learn my skills?

Someone from my first batch of abap students asked me, how did I learn my skills?

I said I liked programming during poly and had a good knowledge of C and Java. I thought I was good when I joined the workforce; I took another 5 years to master abap. I then asked him where he stands now and used cooking as a metaphor.
Can you fry an egg?
Cook a dish?
Whip up a dinner?
Or just help your mother dice the onions?

This set me thinking. Can mastery come without a competitive spirit? I know my own path. It was to challenge the guy in class who was better than me. I never caught up; I never came close; but it gave me the skills I had.

Years later, I learnt that what separates me from others is not a raw talent in programming. I am simply more experienced - much much more. I have easily done 20x the homework of any normal student; and that was schoolwork.

Experience. What I was thought as a challenge of wits now boils down to this. I never thought I would say this, 14 years ago.