Practice Makes Perfect

Growing up we are told that practice makes perfect. If we want to learn how to we play a song we have to practice (I spent hours pounding on a piano because my mom made me practice when I wanted to play); if we want to be good a free throws we have to practice; if we want to learn how to write cursive we have to practice, and the list goes on and on.

But I have come to realize there are a couple things that I dont think I am good at, and most of the time it is because I dont practice doing those things. I used to not like praying out loud because I didnt think I was good at it I couldn't think of the "right" things to say, whenever anyone would ask "who wants to pray" the trick was to always avoid eye-contact (this also works when a teacher asks the class a question). But you dont get good or comfortable praying out loud if you dont pray out loud, i.e. practice.

We also dont learn how to do something by just reading about it. You dont learn algebra by reading about it, you learn it by practicing it. Same goes for love. You dont learn how to love people by reading about it, you learn how to love people by practicing it. Sometimes you get it wrong, just like you get algebra problems wrong, but eventually you learn how to get it right.

The same also goes for being creative. I was having a conversation with a friend about being creative. I dont think I am a creative person, point blank, but I started to realize that our society doesnt encourage people to practice being creative. We are taught to do what we are told, not to question authority, dont change tradition, and on. I dont think we encourage people to practice being creative. As a result, I have found it hard to be creative because I have never been challenged to be or practiced being creative. How can we learn to do something if we dont practice it?

Another lesson learned: practice makes perfect.