Keep on...keeping on....

​There have been many views and reviews about how long it takes to master a skill, to become really proficient at something.  10,000 hours?  Six to ten years? I honestly don’t know.  Mozart seemed to be born a master.  Many truly gifted people just seem to be able to do their thing, instinctively, compulsively.  But they are actually very few, and when you start to listen to the stories that surround them, it seems that their life was absolutely dedicated to their craft.  I learned that Jimmy Hendrix spent his days, whole days, with his guitar around his neck, constantly strumming and playing.  It is no accident that he became such an accomplished guitarist.  How long do athletes and sportsmen spend in training? We call it training, but they are just living their thing. Watch a child learning to walk.  Over and over again they stumble but just get up and try again.  And one day can walk. We need guidance, call it instruction, training.  I heard some else say that you need to know a subject to know what to discard. But above all we need our own trying, failing, successes and the reward of extending our abilities.  It begins with the first step, just try, keep trying, and something will happen, you will become more adept, more skilled and the enjoyment of a job well done is beyond description.  Whatever you apply yourself to is worthwhile, it is truly yours.

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Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans
Keep interested in your own career, however humble
It is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time

From Desiderata  Found in Old St Paul's Church, Baltimore 1692