I wonder how many of us have this ideal in our head of this abstract person we want to one day become.
One day I'll fit into these clothes in my closet.
One day I'll have finally developed patience.
One day I'll have enough money to buy...
One day I'll get a food storage in order.
One day I'll learn how to play the piano.
One day I'll forgive that person.
One day I'll....
Or how often do we see another's talents and say out loud or to ourselves:
I wish I new how to make pies!
I wish I could sew curtains like that!
I wish I made desserts this well!
I wish I made friends more easily!
I wish I could draw like that!
I wish I was handy enough to fix things around my house!
I wish I new how to make homemade bread!
I wish I....
I'm sure the lists could go on and on. I'm sure we are all guilty of thoughts like these. Some of us more often than others. But what are you doing about it? Do you think if you say that you wish you made homemade bread, POOF now you can? Or if one day you want to play the piano, BAM that day comes with no effort on your part? If today you are not the person you always wanted to become, what are you doing about it?
Though each person is naturally talented at certain things, they could not develop or maintain those talents without effort. If you want to fit into the clothes you've been hanging onto forever, start today by being mindful of the things you eat and squeezing in some form of exercise. If you wish you new how to make a pie, call your mom, neighbor, or jump on Pinterest and give it a shot. I love the strengthening of relationships I find when I spend time teaching or learning with someone else.
My grandpa has been famous in our family for his yummy homemade bread. I wanted to give it a try so I asked him for his recipe. He replied that he could give me a recipe but that it would be best for us to get together on a Saturday and he would show me how to make it. So that's what we did and since then I have been making homemade bread for my family. Some loaves turn out better than others and I am continuing to learn each time I bake the bread. I feel I can now put "making homemade bread" on my list of talents and I loved spending that time with my grandpa.
Hopefully you are feeling at least a little inspired to get to work but I have one warning for you. Trying to develop a talent doesn't always go smoothly...
Just this week I decided I was going to become handy using a drill. The curtain rod needed hanging and I so desperately wanted the child locks installed on all of my cupboards and drawers. I learned the basics of how to use the drill and went to work. Needless to say, the curtain rod is still not hung and the wall has a few extra holes. Only two kitchen cupboards are now kidproof... What happened? Well I gave it my best shot and just couldn't get those darn screws in the way that I wanted to. This was FRUSTRATING to say the least!
Here are a few things I learned from that experience:
-Developing a talent or skill does not happen in minutes.
-Sometimes you need someone to teach you a skill and it helps if they are present while you practice so they can fix mistakes you are making and offer words of encouragement.
-If things don't run smoothly the first time, don't shut down. Try again soon!
-You won't master every skill but its always worth it to try.
Using the drill that day did not go as planned, but I am not afraid to try using the drill again in the future. I have not given up on learning that skill.
We are not all blessed with a comprehensive set of talents because we need each other. We all have unique gifts to offer the world around us. If you have tried something multiple times and are just no good at it, embrace that. Be content with that. If you gave it your best effort, don't waste more time and energy wishing you could be the best. But if you haven't even tried, stop wishing and start working! If you have been waiting to grow older, or be less busy so that you can start becoming the person you want to be, stop waiting! Have the courage to try new things. Have the courage to fail. Have the courage to become the person you want to be. And have the courage to start that journey now.
