How many times have you heard the expression “practice makes perfect”?  Run out of fingers yet?  We have all heard it countless times and for the most part believe it to be true.  I am not so sure anymore.  I can’t argue that the more we work on something, the more proficient we get, and the better we will probably become in doing it.

The part of this that has me questioning the concept is that no matter how good we get at something, what we do with it is really what matters.  You may be a great writer or speaker. You might know everything there is about computer hardware.  You might even be the best cook there ever was, except for my grandmother of course.  But what are you doing with the skills you have been blessed with?

Back to the idea of practice … there is no question that repetition will result in proficiency.  But what are you doing, why are you doing it and more importantly, how will you use it to benefit others?

I have a set of golf clubs and I like to golf, but don’t really have the time or money to do it as often as I would like.  So how important is it that I practice the game?  I don’t golf to win anything.  If you have ever golfed with me, you would agree.  I like to golf because I enjoy being outside and having a good time with my friends.  In this case, practicing has no relevance on my objective.

Alright, where am I going with this … if you are going to practice at something, be clear on your objectives.  We all have a story to tell – our story.  So why is this important because our story is unique and our experiences can be used to benefit others.

So here it comes … your life is really nothing more than practice.  We will never reach perfection.  There is only one guy that was perfect and He left His legacy by writing a Book.  The rest of us can merely try and practice what we believe in and try and get better at living so that others can be better for what they have learned from us.

Here are a few thoughts as to why it is important to practice life:

1.  INSPIRATION

I like to practice things that inspire people.  If someone sees something I am doing and how much I enjoy it, maybe it will inspire them to do the same.  Not necessarily the same thing, but something that gives them the same joy and fulfillment that I get from what I am doing.  Everyone is so busy today, I think sometimes they forget about living.  I used to be that guy, but not anymore!

2.  PURPOSE

I like practicing things that add to reaching my potential and fulfilling my purpose.  Chasing a dream, if you will.  I want my words, written or spoken to make a difference in the lives of those around me.  So I practice and then I practice some more.  I’ll admit, sometimes practice is not fun and it does require work.  But hey, practice makes perfect, right?

3.  LEGACY

This is probably the biggest reason I practice.  I want to make a difference.  And not only today, tomorrow or next week.  I want to make a difference after I am gone.  How do I do that?  You guessed it – practice.  I practice being a better husband, a better father and a better person all the way around.  If you have followed me for long, you know I am a sports fanatic.  Seems fitting that those athletes that have left behind a legacy on the field, continued to practice right up until their final game.

I guess the point of my story is this … we practice living every day but are we getting better at it?  We all have dreams and the people that are close to us have dreams.  If we have to practice anyway, why not practice something that will make a difference.

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com   10/15/12            photo by author