Principles To Live By

Hello? Anyone there? I feel as if I should do a brief summary of what I've been doing instead of blogging, but this is all I have ready right now so that will have to wait.

So I was having a lesson with an amazing viola teacher from Oberlin a few months ago and he told me that there were three main principles of practicing. One of them was to make things harder than they have to be. I figure that this is also somewhat of a life skill. In fact it is one that I have unknowingly put into practice.

As I've said before, I do not currently have internet. I might soon celebrate the anniversary of not having it for a year. Now it's not like this hasn't happened before. I spent multiple years before now without it, but at this point in my studies, it has proved a difficult barrier not only for homework, but for communicating as well. But because everything in life has a good reason for happening, I have been looking at the whole situation differently.

In the beginning I was saying how making things harder than necessary will ultimately lead to making them easier. So I was thinking that since I don't have WiFi now, think what a relief if I go on in school and can use theirs! I will not simply take it for granted.

Same thing with driving I suppose. Won't it be nice when I have my own car and don't have to worry about the weather because of riding conditions. Had I grown up using the car all the time for every little errand, I wouldn't know the difference enough to appreciate it.

Another profound thing this teacher told me was that in order to do something well (specifically music) you can't just not do the wrong things, you have to do the right things. This is applicable because as Christians, we can't simply pat ourselves on the back for not doing drugs, or not being mean to people. Even non Christians can be good in that way. The difference should be that someone living for God isn't simply not doing something bad, but is doing something good and helpful to advance his kingdom. If you think about it this should make sense. You say "I haven't stolen anything or killed anyone." Well good for you, but have you loved those who hate you? Have you helped someone out who has less than you?

Bottom line: it isn't what you don't do that is going to accomplish anything, it's only what you do do. That was definitely a new perspective for me. I tend to sit at church listening to the sermon and when I'm not thinking about it, I start this checklist in my head thinking I don't do that, I don't do that, I don't struggle with that, wow I guess I'm good to go. Then I have to think about it and danger signals start flashing in my mind because I'm being prideful.

Last principle, and please read the the explanation or you might take it wrong. Here it is: Practice Wrong! Okay so that doesn't really make any sense. No, I'm not giving you liberty to give up trying to do what is right in favor of what is wrong. The reason this is helpful is because, at least in terms of music, it helps us to see clearer what the right way is. I think this is probably the easiest to apply in other areas because we mess up all the time unconsciously. That's not the helpful part. The lesson of it is only if you can look back at the experience, identify what didn't work, and be able to do better next time.

Want the three principles again? Here you go:
1. Make things harder than they are
2. Don't not do wrong things, do right things
3. Practice wrong

I hope dearly that no one skims and reads just that one part or they will be severely misguided.