The Real Skill

“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” Confucius

With a fundraiser planned as part of the community projects at the work place; each one was designated a special set of tasks based on individual choices and skills. Some were forefront with the raising funds sections, while others were allotted in projects from cooking to art, designing posters and so on. Amidst all this, comparisons and remarks were found in the conversations regarding the ability or lack of special talents or skills. The truth is each one is skilled in their own way. While one may excel at baking, the other may be better at managing events or designing the vent posters. Each one has their special own skills.

“Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.” Charles R. Swindoll

Beyond the skills that define one, it is the mind and the attitude behind them that reflects the real self within. Each one is skilled or can excel at certain tasks; but knowing one better than the other, doesn’t imply that one person is better than the other. Believing that one is defined by their skills alone, is a foolhardy thought. Each one is gifted in a way of their own. Yet beyond that, it is the mind that matters more. One can always outshine the other at the same or similar art; but keeping a kind, humane and gentle approach will leave a characteristic individualized hand-print behind, for the rest of the world to observe, reflect and learn from.

“The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.” Carl R. Rogers

After winning several archery contests, the young and rather boastful champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he hit a distant bull’s eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with his second shot. ‘There,’ he said to the old man, ‘see if you can match that!’

Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the young archer to follow him up the mountain. Curious about the old fellow’s intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log. Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge, the old master picked a far away tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a clean, direct hit. ‘Now it is your turn,’ he said as he gracefully stepped back onto the safe ground.

Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log, no less shoot at a target. ‘You have much skill with your bow,’ the master said, sensing his challenger’s predicament, ‘but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot.’
Author Unknown

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” Socrates