Mr. Achievement - Stanley F. Bronstein - Personal Development BlogPersonal Development Blog of the Founder of the Achievement IQ Movement and Creator of the Laws of Positioning

Law #88

Position Yourself To Be Skilled

Quote #1 - A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner. (English Proverb)

Quote #2 - Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful. (Mark Victor Hansen)

Quote #1 - Definitions

Smooth - Free from hindrances or difficulties. Free from projections or unevenness of surface; not rough. Of uniform consistency.

Sea - A large lake or landlocked body of water. The salt waters that cover the greater part of the earth’s surface.

Never - Not ever; at no time. To no extent or degree.

Made - Produced by making, preparing, etc., in a particular way.

Skill(ed) - The ability, coming from one’s knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc., to do something well. Competent excellence in performance; expertness; dexterity.

Mariner - A person who directs or assists in the navigation of a ship; sailor.

Source: Dictionary.com

Quote #1 - What Is It Suggesting?

This quote is so simple, it’s beautiful.

It suggests that in order to become skilled, you need to encounter bumps along the way.

In order to develop your abilities; your knowledge; your competence; you have to encounter bumps along the way.

If all you ever encounter is “smooth sailing”, then you will learn little or nothing. If you encounter “rough waters” (i.e. bumps along the way), then you will have to increase you abilities; exercise your abilities; by having to learn how to overcome those obstacles.

Quote #2 - Definitions

Wait - To remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens.

Everything - Every thing or particular of an aggregate or total; all.

Just Right - Done or made according to principle; equitable; proper, all in accordance with what is good, proper or just.

Never - Not ever; at no time. To no extent or degree.

Perfect - conforming absolutely to the description or definition of an ideal type. excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement.

Always - Every time; on every occasion; without exception.

Challenges - A call to engage in a contest, fight, or competition. An act or statement of defiance; a call to confrontation.

Obstacles - One that opposes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress.

Less - To a smaller extent, amount, or degree.

Conditions - A particular mode of being of a person or thing; existing state; situation with respect to circumstances.

So What - Who cares? It doesn’t matter.

Start(ed) - To begin or set out, as on a journey or activity.

Now - At the present time or moment.

Each - Every one individually; each one.

Step - A move, act, or proceeding, as toward some end or in the general course of some action; stage, measure, or period.

Grow - To increase by natural development. To increase gradually in size, amount, etc.; become greater or larger; expand.

Strong(er) - Having, showing, or able to exert great bodily or muscular power; physically vigorous or robust. Especially able, competent, or powerful in a specific field or respect. Of great moral power, firmness, or courage.

More - In greater quantity, amount, measure, degree, or number. Additional or further.

Self Confident - Personal belief in oneself. Personal ability to have no uncertainty about one’s own abilities, correctness, or successfulness.

Successful - Having achieved one’s goals or desires. Achieving or having achieved success.

Source: Dictionary.com

Quote #2 - What Is It Suggesting?

Don’t sit around.  Don’t wait for things to be just right.  Why?  Because except under the rarest of circumstances, they will NEVER be just right.  Things will never be perfect.

You are always going to encounter bumps in the road.  That’s consistent with the first quote, which suggested that you will never become skilled unless you encounter bumps in the road.

One quote says you need bumps in the road.  The second quote says you will always encounter bumps in the road.

So, I guess this means the universe is always going to give us what we need!

Bumps Along The Road

Each bump you encounter is going to cause you grief, but once you overcome it, you will emerge stronger.

And guess what happens as you overcome obstacles?

You acquire skills.  You emerge stronger.

So What Am I Suggesting?

I’m suggesting that we should all stop worrying about the bumps and obstacles we encounter along the way.

Why?  Because they are inevitable.  They are ALWAYS going to be there and we are ALWAYS going to encounter them.

Instead of worrying about them, we should learn from them.

Learning from them will increase our skills.  Learning from them will make us stronger.

In summary, stop worrying and start living.