On Practicing
How it works.
Yesterday’s post was about how we can’t think ourselves into a better life. Instead we have to live ourselves into better thinking.
Let me take this at least a step further by talking about how practicing works.
Someone can dream that they will become great at something, like playing a sport or instrument, but if they don’t choose to practice, they will never arrive at their desired destination.
Why is this?
Why can’t we just pray to God, for example, and just receive what it is we want? Couldn’t this be evidence of having a weak faith?
I don’t think so.
In fact, I would argue that our lives would be worse if God just dumped on us everything we wanted.
If it wasn’t for our struggles and our limitations we would lose our reliance on maintaining a constant connection with God and others. We would find ourselves isolated by luxury — which is always temporary.
This is, to those who have no material needs, a problem in being able to understand their own spiritual poverty.
Which brings me back discussing the need to practice.
Here is how it works. Apply it to anything — exercise, weight loss, sports, public speaking — anything healthy and desirable.
Step One. Do dream and desire. Make this a part of your conversation with God in prayer.
Two. Choose to honor your dream by doing something.Choose to practice. Be willing to repeat behavior you are not good at. Be willing to sit in the problem of your limitations and inadequacies without toxic judgement. It’s okay to be critical about technique but not okay to be critical about yourself or your attempts to try things you aren’t good at. Part of the rigidity of aging is the unwillingness to try new things for fear of looking foolish. This is pride.
While you are practicing you are concentrating on overcoming problems and improving technique, while at the same time giving yourself grace. Love the fact you are trying. Have a sense of humor, and then
Three. Stop. People who just practice or over-practice discover they don’t improve quickly, if at all. Why is this? Because it is in rest that the practicing activity is re-wiring the brain. New neural connections are forming and old ones being removed.
Four. Which brings me to the importance of nutrition. Healthy food and water are the raw materials necessary for quality physical development. Quality sleep is also important.
In other words, practice is more than we at first realize. It involves bringing our lives into balance toward an objective or dream
Finally. Consider why God created the Sabbath. As Jesus said,
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
Mark 2:27 (ESV)
So what new things are you pursuing in order to keep yourself as young as possible? Let us know in the comments.
One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?”
And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
Playing guitar and singing. Definitely my own style. LOL !