The other day my friends and I were finishing the phrase “If I could play any instrument it would be…” We discussed this for a while in great detail and wishful thinking, pondering what it would have been like to know how to strum a guitar. Until suddenly my friend stopped us and said, “You know, it’s not too late to learn!” We all just kind of looked on dumbfounded and nodded our heads in agreement.
That was sort of an “Aha!” moment for me. This entire time I was wishing I had learned how to master an instrument, imagining how cool it would be to be able to play the violin or piano. But it never once crossed my mind that if this was something I really wanted to know how to do, then I could just do it. Learning an instrument is a very doable skill, but for some reason I had treated it as if it just wasn’t possible.
It is fascinating how we all too often write ourselves off of possible accomplishments. We are so conditioned to just wish we could do something or only dream of going places that we forget there are some things in life that we have control over, and teaching ourselves a new skill is one of them.
I am starting to be more mindful of when I say, “I wish I could do this” and “I wish I knew how to do that.” If it is something I can control, and something I really do want to be proficient in, then I will write it down and take a closer look at the idea.
Exploring these ideas and wishes make us happier, more confident, and gives us hope and self-value. You never know, it might just turn in to a passion. Culinary master Julia Child didn’t learn how to cook until she was almost 40. She later went on to become nominated and win multiple awards for her cooking show, as well as become inducted into the Cookbook Hall of Fame. Imagine if she had only wished she knew how to cook.
I invite all of you to become more aware of those wishful statements. How often are you just wishing and dreaming instead of practicing and doing?
