February 26, 2019, The carpenter's sons
Once upon a time there was a master woodworker who had twin sons. The boys grew up in the carpenter shop watching and helping their father work with his beloved wood. When it was time for the father to retire, he called his sons to his side and said to them. “Sons, it is time for me to retire and time for the two of you to take over my work. I have divided my tools into two groups.”He walked over to a canvas covering a pile of tools, “These tools have created great master pieces and will create many more. This tools I give to you, Mason. Use them well.”The father walked over to the other canvas covered pile of tools, “These tools will create many useful items. These tools I give to you, Sammy. Use them well.”Both boys pulled the canvas from their pile of tools. Sammy was gleeful, father thought him the most talented and given him the newest tools.Mason was a little sad. He had always though his father believed him to be the best carpenter but his father gave him the worn, and sometimes repaired, tools. He knew the tools would work as well as the newer ones, so he accepted the tools that would allow him to set up his own carpenter shop and he thanked his father.Later, Mason saw his father working in the garden and went to join him. He walked by his father's side, both pulling weeds. Finally his father said, “Mason, you are the best carpenter. Do you wonder why I gave the newest tools to your brother?”Mason hesitated a moment, maybe he did not want to know the answer. But he answered yes.His father stopped pulling weeds and stood up and faced Mason. “My son, you have worked hard to be a great carpenter and you are the best in the village next to me. It is not the tools that makes a great carpenter. It is love of the wood and love of the work and patience and persistence. Most of all patience and persistence. You have all of that in abundance. No matter what tools you have, you will produce beautiful work.“Not so for your brother. He works for the praise and recognition. He does not love or understand carpentry. He needs all the help he can get. But, sadly, having shinny new tools will not make him a better carpenter. But with the new tools he will be able to make a living while you produce master pieces. It is not the tool that makes a master piece. It is the man and how he uses the tool. Talent is the result of careful work and love of the work. Shinny tools will not substitute for talent.”Mason was silent a moment. Then he said “Thank you, father. The tools are perfect and I will make beautiful things using them. Thank you for honoring me by giving them to me.'A number of studies have shown that when a person is really good at something, it is not natural God given talent. Although some people may find it easier than others to learn a skill, true talent is always the result of diligent and thoughtful practice. Some people practice a lot but never improve. It is because they think practice is the answer so they practice, but sloppy. Practicing sloppy perpetuates sloppy work. Practicing carefully and with diligence makes talent better and better.If your child wants to do a thing, encourage her. She can become outstanding in anything she loves and in which she is eager to put in time and practice. And that applies to you also. Practice does truly make perfect if done with care.And a very interesting fact about practice is, you do not actually have to physically practice. Practicing in your imagination works, too. Apparently, your subconscious can not tell the difference between actually doing it and only imagining doing it.