With Hard Work and Determination

I am of the opinion that there are very few things we can not do with enough time and hard work.

I do not mean we can all become Olympic Gold Medalists and Concert Cellists and Astronauts in one lifetime. However, I find it very frustrating when people complain they can not do some things "by their nature."

One of the age old examples is the ability to play an instrument. Oh how I wish I could play the piano, or the guitar, and yet every time I start practicing or taking lessons I sound so horrible! I must have no skill and therefore should quit. Yup. Please ignore that it took me over thirteen years of piano lessons to reach where I am today. Please do not mind that those guitar players can become proficient in basic chords in a few months. Please do not tell me trying for a week and quitting indicates a lack of talent. It indicates a lack of determination.

Similarly, there are those who can not cook. Sure there are some who are complete failures as cooks no matter what. For some reason they cannot make judgement or can not follow directions. However, the vast majority of humans can make decisions and follow directions and therefore cook. At least at a basic level. The rest is just experience.

I find that I have structured my life around various rules. Some are from laws, others from advice. Some I realize come from experience and to prevent me from doing stupid things. Let us be frank here, I don't have the quickest mind which can evaluate the entire situation up to this point and make a snap decision about many things. So, I instead devise rules for myself to follow which can be applied to many situations. Does that make me a faster, more experienced decision maker? In a way not really/ I do not have the intuitive interpersonal skills that some have. However, due to experience and observation, I can keep up. I've essentially made myself a shortcut.

Granted, gaining experience takes time. We all know that time is in very short supply. So, the other aspect to this problem is determination. You can make anything you want your personal top priority. You can dedicate more or less time to many of your daily actions. Why not set aside an hour each day to prayer? Or perhaps a half-hour jog? Or an hour for practicing writing or an instrument or studying up on a language? Perhaps set aside an extra thirty minutes for time with your kids, or dedicate a day to pursuing that one special someone. If you care enough, I do not think you are so hard pressed for your basic needs that you cannot make time for what you care about.

Therein lies the issue. Most people do not actually care. We already fill our days full of things we care about, and adding in that new thing that we have no experience at is hard. We know instinctively that it will take maybe months or years to show fruit for our practice. Plus, we are surrounded by more competent people and we may never catch up to them. Again, it comes down to what you care about. In one year you will still be one year older. But you have the power to decide what you have at your disposal in that one year.

It really is up to you.