This Is My Practice

​Practice can mean a couple of things. 

You can practice something to get better, or you make something your practice to do something. You make it your habit. It's how you apply your time. 

As in - it is my practice to take a walk every day. 

Doctors have a "practice." That doesn't mean that they're still working the kinks out. They make medicine their practice. They apply their medical knowledge and skills to healing others. 

Lawyers practice the law. They apply their legal expertise to a particular area of the law in service to others. 

To be good at anything you have to make it your practice to do that thing. It has to be a habit. It's not just practicing as in rehearsing for a game, but the practice is the game. 

I played golf a few weeks ago with my friends Jan and Brian in Arizona. I hadn't played a lot this year. 

Because I hadn't played much, I wasn't very confident. I'd miss a lot of shots I should have made. I duffed way more shots than I should have. 

I know when I play more, I play more confidently, and I play better. 

It's quite stressful trying to hit over a water hazard when you have no clue where the ball's going to end up. Stress will give you the yips, or you could miss the ball entirely. But if you play a lot, and you've hit tons of shots over the water, you expect it to work. 

I did have a great time.  However, if I had made it my practice to go to play golf every day (or even a couple of times a week, or at least go to the driving range), I would have played much better. 

I want to get better at drawing and writing, so I have built a practice of showing up to write and draw every week. 

You see, I love making things. Publishing them here gives me the incentive. 

I'm grateful you read, and I maybe get something out of it sometimes too. 

I want to make you smile, I want to make you think, and sometimes, I only want to divert your attention from all the yuckiness out there and make your day better.  

I want to make it my practice to make your life just a touch better from time to time. 

Until next week, I wish you peace. 

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