Practice makes (almost) perfect when it comes to letting go of self. The more times we do something, the easier it becomes. The more we practice doing something, the less thought, intention, and effort is required to replicate our work.
Father, please help us be willing to practice doing your will so that it becomes second nature to us. Let us rely more fully on the strength and power of your Holy Spirit and trust you to overcome our weakness and imperfection. Help us be doers and not simply admirers. Amen.
Practice Makes Almost Perfect
While going for acupuncture in almost every big city is no longer any weirder than seeing the dentist, it is still looked at sideways by some people in my small town. This makes my patients even more special to me because they don't have the luxury of anonymity. Not only must they build up the courage to come in and pay me to poke them with pins, they also face the risk of being labeled a sucker or a weirdo for buying into "that voodoo stuff."
What lessons do you apply from your career in music to your career in cooking? Practice makes almost perfect. Study under a great chef. Be humble. Taste everything! Be intrepid. Be hyper-critical. Don't be afraid to improvise. Make mistakes and learn from them.
While practice makes (almost) perfect, it is during free time at the keyboard where the magic happens, where the true musicians and composers emerge. To do this, make sure to balance your practice time with copious amounts of free time to explore your musical inclinations. Have fun!
That varied background makes Reis an almost perfect fit for her NCAA role, which is to produce the annual festival and to serve as secondary liaison to the Division II Championships Committee. But what sets Reis apart the most is her attitude. She is unfailingly thorough and contagiously upbeat.
My daughter has her role to play, makes her offering, and is getting better and better. She finds real joy in playing, in some measure precisely because the pull of the target - perfection - beckons just beyond her. Moreover, I can see the pursuit itself begin to shape her, giving her toughness and self-mastery.
When times are tough in our industry - like now - a lot of formerly salaried engineers and geologists seem to turn to consulting to make a living. Sometimes, however, being a consultant in the petroleum industry isn't fun at all. Most of us begin practice with visions of pursuing excellence only to find it difficult to achieve. We can be almost perfect in forecasting that a wildcat well on a new prospect won't result in a commercial discovery. And we can be right most of the time when we caution that almost every wildcat well ought not be drilled. The trouble with these conclusions is that the odds are on our side, but the clients usually aren't. Negative responses don't pay well and soon we may be looking for some other line of work. 2ff7e9595c
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