One of the most frustrating days I ever experienced in my life, was the first day of Spanish 101 in college. We came in, sat at our lonely desks and waited for the teacher to lay out the plan for our next 13 weeks. Instead, she said, everyone push your chairs in groups of 4, and wait for instructions. Once we all scuttled ourselves around and she saw we were ready, she said “OK, for the next 30 minutes, only speak in Spanish to those in your group” – WHAT??? If I KNEW how to speak Spanish, I wouldn’t be in this class for crying out loud! I was beyond frustrated and embarrassed. If there is such a thing as feeling like you have on nothing but your underwear in public and NOT dreaming, this was it! Obviously, I had nothing to say except “Si” and “Por favor” – I might have thrown in a brief “Como Estas Utd” once.
While this was a completely unique and honestly, ODD approach to starting class, it obviously doesn’t work with ALL classes. Imagine the same approach in a programming class; “write me a program to calculate commissions on foreign markets” or if it was SEWING class “make me a set of pillowcases and a Sunday dress” I’d be afraid to see what would come from those! How about Sky Diving? Bon Voyagggggge…..(splat)
Sometimes, the best way to begin learning a new skill, is FEET FIRST! You can plan, talk, imagine and dream about doing something, but until you take the first step..it aint gonna happen. And if you are waiting for the “comfortable..perfect timing” You might be waiting a while, and most likely you will wait yourself out of an opportunity.
Real estate ownership is a big bite to take, but it isn’t going to be cheaper later…they aren’t making more land last I heard. If you wait to invest your money when you have “enough” or the time is right, you might miss the chance altogether. I read a book once on How to write a book. The first thing it said was that there was hundreds of people within a mile of my house that are better writers. The difference? They aren’t actually writing their books. The only thing that separates them from me is that I am taking action.
We only have a certain number of days on this rock and what you do while you are here should be measured more by what you are leaving behind opposed to what you bought, earned, or own. The things that make the biggest difference are what difference you make. Not in yourself, but in the lives of other people. Invest in yourself in order to make a difference in others lives. Sometimes the smallest things mean the most to other people. Be on the lookout for ways to make a difference. There are a lot of hurting lonely people out there. And the blessings each of us have far outweigh the misery some other people undergo daily!
Above all, more than any other goal you set or task you attempt: Do what you say you will do! Empty words are better left unspoken. Time and consistency show who a person really is.