You see, knowing the words is not the same thing as living the meaning. Suppose I memorize the printed instructions on a first-aid kit. Does that mean I can give first-aid? No. The full meaning comes when I admit I know nothing and then try, practice, succeed.
— Vernon Howard
One day, when I was about eight or nine years old, my friends and I found a box of matches. Like most kids we found fire absolutely fascinating, so we sneakily took the box of matches and went to our sandbox to play with fire.
We had a great time lighting the matches and watching them burn. At first, we would simply light the matches and watch them burn, but as this became normal we began looking for other things to burn. Weeds and small sticks were first, but before long we were watching the fire melt broken action figures and other small toys.
Each time the fire would start to get too big we would bury it with sand to put it out.
As is inevitable when playing with fire, eventually one of us got burned. While holding a match to some unfortunate toy, the flame burned down low enough to burn one of my friend’s thumbs. Being young and not knowing any better, he stuck his thumb in the sand to try and stop the burning. This of course did not work.
That day we learned that sand does not put out all fires.
Thus it is with almost everything in life. To learn, we must experience, try and practice. No matter what we are learning, true understand comes only as we put the things we study into practice. Practice will be hard. It will show you what you don’t know, and it will allow you to truly understand.
No matter the subject, application of knowledge brings true understanding and practice is the road to mastery.
In what way has practice helped you truly understand something in the past? What are you practicing now? How can you increase your practice every day?