Are you making mistakes and feeling unsure? Congratulations, you are learning.
Proverbs 9:9
“Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.” (NIV)
Doesn’t it feel great when you know exactly what to do? Confidence based on experience produces results. But what about those times in life when you’re uncertain. You’re making mistakes. You’re feeling unsure. You must be doing something wrong, right? Not necessarily. Missteps and insecurity are merely signs of learning.
The only way to grow, is to learn what you don’t already know. Warning: Don’t expect learning to be comfortable. The process of acquiring knowledge exposes your weaknesses. Discovering you’re in error doesn’t feel good. So the first thing we need to adjust during this process is our attitude. When I step into new situations, I remind myself of these simple truths: “I don’t have to be best, first or right. I can be wrong and I can be corrected.”
Imagine how difficult it would be to learn something new if you had to do that task right the first time and be the best person at the job. The child learning to walk will stumble countless times. A toddler learning to talk will babble and make absolutely no sense at first. But these skills are learned by most children, given time and effort. Give yourself a break. With effort you’ll reach your milestones too. All you really have to be is persistent.
Don’t be intimidated by competition. Instead, let competition inspire you. There is room for you. There is always someone with more—more knowledge, more stuff, better skills, better character, you name it. I recently attended a middle school talent show. Dozens of twelve and thirteen-year-old students stood before at least 400 of their peers to perform. These singers, dancers and musicians all possessed varying levels of talent. Some were inexperienced, while others were so polished they could have been professional performers.
The most inspiring thing about the show was not the talent—it was how the children supported each other. When someone was nervous or made a mistake, the entire auditorium cheered them on. The newbies weren’t afraid to compete on the stage with students displaying higher skills; and the gifted performers encouraged the beginners. What can we learn from these kids? The only way to improve is to take risks. There are people that will support you.
The next time you’re feeling discouraged because of what you don’t know or how far you still have to go, just keep learning…
- Learn your flaws
- Learn your strengths.
- Learn to take risks.
- Learn what matters to you
- Learn how much God loves you.
Proverbs 9:10
“For the reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom. Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding.” (TLB)
Today’s Life Key: You don’t have to be perfect. Just be persistent.
Be Inspired by the Competition:
Watch 13-Year-Old Girl Rock Her First Talent Show!
