“The more you practice what you know, the more shall you know what to practice.” – W. Jenkin
I watched from the sidelines as they raced each other to the other side. I was out of place. Don’t get me wrong. It was not because I was not sociable. I was very confident in public. I was used to facing crowds and speaking with passion at the age of 20.
But there were a few places that I was not very comfortable with. One of them was the swimming pool. You guessed it right. During those get together with friends all I could think of was, “I can’t swim!”
Since I believed that I can learn anything. I bought books on swimming. I learned a lot from the instructions especially those with pictures. I gained the knowledge. But I still did not know how to swim. The only way to really learn was to get into the pool and practice.
I had a little improvement – from dummy to know a little. Then a friend of mine invited me to swim. He knew that I was a poor swimmer so he was more than willing to teach me when I asked him to. The knowledge that I had, coupled with his on-the-job mentoring put the pieces together.
It took many visits to the pool before I got the hang of it. One day, I said to myself that I would stay as long as I can in the pool. It suddenly felt effortless. I could even meditate as I did the strokes. I completed 100 laps.
I am not a professional swimmer. I cannot consider myself to be really good at it but this I know: I can swim. Now, every time there is a get together by the pool, I no longer feel embarrassed. I know for sure, “I know how to swim!”
The principle applies in all areas of life. Put to practice your knowledge, you’ll realize that there is so much more to learn.
Do you want to start your own business? Learn about it then put it to practice. Do you want to start a business with no capital? Learn about it and practice it. Do you want to have a better marriage? Learn what makes it work then practice it.
Do you practice what you know?
© Ed Pilapil Jr – life coach, business coach, motivational speaker
