On
cultivating a number of good-enough skills
(c) 2012, "Dancingthots." All rights reserved.
Preface: Always been
told “excellence” or it’s no good. [Would
you consider that “all-or-nothing” thinking?]
e.g., The higher education model:
ever-higher.
How soul-limiting: never alighting
in peace.
I was playing the piano this morning, beginning to relax and
enjoy the moment, but distracted by niggly in-mind chatter: “Awk! You should take lessons, so you can play
better…”
There it is: excellence
or else, spilling into my everyday life.
I asked myself, while continuing to play and sing, “Where
would I find time to practice the piano right now, and to what end?”
I realized that it’s OK
with me that I play medium alright.
It suits my purposes. And, while I enjoy studying anything, including
piano, I don’t have the desire or motivation to practice hours a day to measurably
improve my playing right now.
So, I asked myself, “Is there a place for medium “OK” skill
of various kinds in a life? If I sew pretty well, and play the piano pretty
well, and take photos pretty well, is that enough?
Who sets the criteria anyway?