The Gift of the Learning Process

It can be very frustrating to watch someone who has a special talent or a natural gift. What they do seems to come effortlessly.

You ask, "Why can't it be that way for me?"

You may even look for "cheats" or "shortcuts." You try to find ways to make it happen faster or easier.

Surely, they must have an easy life being  born with such talent. 

Even with short cuts, you will learn, but you will miss the gift that a learning curves provides. 

You lose the gift of time, which enables you to absorb the new learning so that it does not overwhelm. You lose the gift of work, which helps you to appreciate what you have. You lose the gift of experience, a gift which has stories to tell you and important lessons that will serve you in all areas of your life.

Do not lose faith in your abilities if you find that you struggle in the beginning. Do not give up too quickly. 

In the beginning you may struggle to make small gains. With perseverance, these small gains become bigger ones. With these bigger gains under your belt, you will be able to practice your new skill. You will start to feel pleasure and pride at your accomplishment.

Do not give up at this point, for the best is yet to come. Like a master artist, you now can add details to your practice, smoothing out rough edges and polishing your craft until you are performing at an expert level.

In every step of the learning process, there are delights, gifts and surprises that will enrich all parts of your life.

If you want a bouquet, you must till the soil, plant the seeds, water, fertilize, weed, nurture and harvest. Every step is important. To miss any portion of the process will lead to a dead end and destroy any chance of creating the perfect arrangement. 

Those who have savant-like abilities, do not, necessarily, have it easy. They are often misunderstood and must deal with the envy and resentment of others. They don't feel special or unique and don't always understand the "fuss" about what they do naturally. Their "gift" may even seem to be a burden.

To learn, "the hard way" allows you to appreciate the new skill you are trying to acquire.

The longer it takes you to learn, the more experience you will accumulate, and the more comfortable you will be with your new ability. You will have a better understanding of your new skills and be better equipped to teach and help others develop their skills.

Whatever you want to do, enjoy every step of the learning process. Celebrate your gains and aim to improve upon them. 

One day, you will wake up and realize, that you are the skilled one that others look up to with admiration. ~Silas

Practice, Practice, Practice

Does it sound cruel that we love to watch you make mistakes? It is not your suffering we enjoy, but the opportunities to learn and grow which your mistakes create.

Few are gifted enough to play an instrument properly on the first try. At first, the new musician plays notes that may feel like an assault to the ears. Soon they begin to make major corrections and it sounds better. Then minor corrections improve the music further. Finally, practice is all that is needed to maintain the near perfection. A seasoned professional will still make minor corrections to improve the music, corrections that the untrained ear will not notice.

Practice is a series of mistakes and corrections that lead to harmony.

There are those who give up quickly, assuming they have no talent. The mistakes of practice bringing an end to their career.

Others refuse to give up. They see their mistakes and missed notes as lessons to be learned, so that they can improve their playing. They identify themselves with the music, not the mistakes. They shrug off a disastrous practice, and show up the next day with instrument in hand, using the previous day as an example of what not to do.

You are not here to be perfect, you are here to learn. Do not identify yourself with your mistakes but rather by how you overcome and learn from them. We do not judge you whether you get it right the first time or the twelfth. The extra practice will make the lesson stick.

If others among you insist on bashing you for your mistakes, then surround yourself with new people. Don't let them ruin the learning experience for you. They could probably learn a few things from you. ~Silas

Jinnzania's side notes: I was taught to strive for perfection. Anytime I made a mistake, I would mentally beat myself up for it. In many cases, if I failed at something, I would just give up. Fear of more failure prevented me from learning from my mistakes. For nearly two decades, I went to jobs I didn't like, went home and turned on the television. I was completely successful at that, and my life was empty.

I entered a relationship that I thought had come along to save me. it brought new adventures, but in the end, I realized that he was pulling the strings and controlling every aspect of the relationship. I could not believe that I had fallen for his game, and so badly misjudged who he was. I also realized that I had done this before. It took a mistake of this magnitude to teach me a valuable lesson.

I don't thank him for this lesson, as it wasn't designed to teach me, but rather use me until he found another to use. I thank myself. For using my strength, determination and creativity to survive and create a better life. I made a big adjustment, and now the music is sweeter, and people around me are beginning to dance to it.