For today's writing practice, I thought it would be interesting to look at the effects of practice and experience on positive development. This writing exercise is a good way to take stock. This would be a good exercise for someone who feels insecure or insignificant: It's easy to take present conditions for granted and to overlook personal achievements.
Small steps can lead to amazing results; progress doesn't happen magically. Failures do not have to be everlasting; they are only part of the learning exerience.
- When I cooked a full meal for the first time, I didn't quite time the dishes right, and the bread I made turned to stone. Today I regularly create healthy and interesting meals, often without using a cookbook, and my bread almost always turns out well.
- When I learned to drive, I was tense and jumpy whenever I drove even a few blocks from home. Today I am relaxed enough to not overreact to most road conditions, I have driven across multiple states, and I have survived snow and ice driving.
- When I started playing racquetball, I could barely track the bouncing ball. Today my reaction time is much better and I can hold my own in a game.
- When I started doing sit-ups, I could only do ten at a time before resting. Today I can do one hundred in a row and perhaps more.
- When I wrote my first computer program, it was nothing more than "10 print 'hi'; 20 goto 10." Today I have experience with Fortran, C, Visual Basic, Verilog, Perl, HTML, and javascript, and I have written varied programs for work and play.
- When I raised my hand to speak up in class for the first time, I was petrified of making a fool of myself because I was so shy. Today I have overcome my fear of talking before a group and regularly participate in group discussions, even with strangers, often as a leader.
- When I set out to backpack across a foreign country for the first time, I didn't know how to plan for unexpected circumstances, like closed hostels. Today I know enough to call in advance, as well as how to navigate my way through non-English speaking cities.
- When we moved from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania, I didn't have any friends who lived in our new locale. Today I have many, thanks to my involvement with the Writer's Room and racquetball, among other activities.
- When I finished high school, I knew very little about electrical engineering. Today I have seven years of work experience in hardware design and electrical engineering.
- When I started writing full time, I only had a handful of short stories to my name. Today I have a growing collection of stories, poetry, and non-fiction, as well as an original 60,000+ word novel in progress.
by Christy Devonport