Welcome to The Wildroot Parables weekly discussions! This is where we can come together as a community and have real talk with one another: open, honest, gracious, and curious.
This is YOUR space to discuss with each other, not just engage with me! Because of this, SAFE SHARING is my highest priority. If you are not engaging safely and with grace with others, you will have to leave. Period.
On Monday, our devotional was all about the grace we find when we’re learning a skill, and how failure can turn to second, third, fourth, fifth chances.
Today, tell us about something (a skill, a piece of wisdom, a transformative realization) you learned by failing and trying again, and again, and again.
A piece of wisdom I gleaned the hard way was in learning when and how to hold my tongue. (This observation will come as a surprise to anyone who knows me, but -- oh, well.) In my younger years, at work gatherings and sales meetings and such, I was always the first to contribute and tended to speak out a lot, confusing verbosity with insight. But over time I came to notice that the wisest among us often spoke the least, letting others (like me) jabber in the limelight. They also were the ones usually asked by the group leader to sum up and synthesize, which they did with care and skill, leaving me envious. All those years during which I spoke far too impulsively have led me at last to see the truth of Proverbs 17:27 -- "The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint." Truth be told, it's a lesson I often find myself re-learning, but I'm better at it than I once was.
For the last two years, I’ve ridden the metro to work everyday. My commute has changed a few times, due to moves or construction or whatever. Each time, I start by just getting on whatever car; it doesn’t matter which. When I get off, I note where I am in relation to where I want to be (the exit, the escalator, the next metro), and take note of that. Tomorrow, I’ll try again to get closer. I’ll shift one car down, sit by a different door, note which pole or bench I need to stand by while I wait for the train to arrive. The following day, the same, a little bit closer. One day at a time, small changes, drawing nearer to where I want to be. A second chance, a third, a fourth until I find habits and patterns into which I can settle. It’s not failure, per se, but it is continuous development toward a desired end state, transformation even within the mundane moments.
The first one that jumps to me is when I started playing the drums. My mother purchased my first set when I was 13. Bless her and our understanding neighbors who endured a giddy music nerd and his brothers as they practiced their instruments every single day, hours on end. But over time we got much better and made countless friends and have had amazing experiences as a result.
Lots of failing on certain rhythms, transitions or songs led to triumphs and blessing on many fronts.
This is by no means a profound example ... it’s mundane and quite practical, but at work I was introduced to this new tech tool. I bemoaned yet another new tool to learn. I tried to learn it, but was really struggling to see how it would improve my work life or benefit clients. Fast forward through a lot of trial & error, training & retraining, and it’s become my absolute FAVORITE tool at work. I use it all the time, for so many things! It saves me time and clients have really appreciated the sophistication this tool brings to their experience.
A piece of wisdom I gleaned the hard way was in learning when and how to hold my tongue. (This observation will come as a surprise to anyone who knows me, but -- oh, well.) In my younger years, at work gatherings and sales meetings and such, I was always the first to contribute and tended to speak out a lot, confusing verbosity with insight. But over time I came to notice that the wisest among us often spoke the least, letting others (like me) jabber in the limelight. They also were the ones usually asked by the group leader to sum up and synthesize, which they did with care and skill, leaving me envious. All those years during which I spoke far too impulsively have led me at last to see the truth of Proverbs 17:27 -- "The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint." Truth be told, it's a lesson I often find myself re-learning, but I'm better at it than I once was.
For the last two years, I’ve ridden the metro to work everyday. My commute has changed a few times, due to moves or construction or whatever. Each time, I start by just getting on whatever car; it doesn’t matter which. When I get off, I note where I am in relation to where I want to be (the exit, the escalator, the next metro), and take note of that. Tomorrow, I’ll try again to get closer. I’ll shift one car down, sit by a different door, note which pole or bench I need to stand by while I wait for the train to arrive. The following day, the same, a little bit closer. One day at a time, small changes, drawing nearer to where I want to be. A second chance, a third, a fourth until I find habits and patterns into which I can settle. It’s not failure, per se, but it is continuous development toward a desired end state, transformation even within the mundane moments.
The first one that jumps to me is when I started playing the drums. My mother purchased my first set when I was 13. Bless her and our understanding neighbors who endured a giddy music nerd and his brothers as they practiced their instruments every single day, hours on end. But over time we got much better and made countless friends and have had amazing experiences as a result.
Lots of failing on certain rhythms, transitions or songs led to triumphs and blessing on many fronts.
This is by no means a profound example ... it’s mundane and quite practical, but at work I was introduced to this new tech tool. I bemoaned yet another new tool to learn. I tried to learn it, but was really struggling to see how it would improve my work life or benefit clients. Fast forward through a lot of trial & error, training & retraining, and it’s become my absolute FAVORITE tool at work. I use it all the time, for so many things! It saves me time and clients have really appreciated the sophistication this tool brings to their experience.