It's Not Easy

Without knowing the story about the photo above, what do you see? A man playing piano, three women enjoying his music, and small children sitting calmly? You might guess that it’s a performance, a recital, or an instructor playing for his students.

It’s Kyle Wehrle, who, at the age of 24, played in his first piano recital. His rapt audience listened for three minutes and 12 seconds before applauding his first-ever performance piece. Kyle, who used to write as a hobby, recently took a job as a writer, so he decided it was time to take up a new hobby, piano. He found an instructor, joined a cohort of budding pianists (ages 5–10), and dove in to the basics, because that’s what an ambitious person does when they want to learn something new—they take action right away. Right?

In reality, it isn’t easy to commit to learning something new. The four things it requires—time, practice, dedication, and perseverance—are precisely the things that make it difficult to commit. However, making the decision to move forward with new learning and experiences results in newfound knowledge, a sense of accomplishment, and pride. Being a lifelong learner takes effort, and the reward is great.

Where would you like to dig a little deeper in your learning? Is there a new book you want to read, a skill you’d like to learn, or a teaching practice you want to embrace? Set aside some time for personal growth this month. Read, inquire, collaborate with others, and practice so that like Kyle, when you reach a learning milestone, you can smile and feel satisfaction from what you accomplished.