What does it mean to practice?
Doing something consciously, noticing the details, with an eye towards improving it.
Making you more familiar with what you're doing.
Broaden your comfort zone.
Trying new things in order to broaden your skills.
Is there a difference between practicing and doing?
Practicing and doing should be the same thing. Some practice is for a habit, and some doing is for real life.
Practicing is an ongoing thing, but doing is now.
Two aspects to practice:
It's a scheduled thing, you do it without consciousness.
Do it enough, it becomes part of your life, it becomes doing.
Practicing is about having a goal, but doing has no goal.
"do the dishes" = you get it done.
Practice doesn't end.
To get something done, you have to practice endlessly first.
Certain professions are describe as a practice: architecture practice, medical practice, law practice.
What do these fields have in common? Why is a cashier's job not called a 'cashier's practice'? Why is there no 'policeman's practice' or 'fishing practice', or administration practice?
It's about spending a long time to learn that professional skill.
Even policemen need training.
But lawyers stuff is harder, needs more time, needs more training, and self-control.
Training is different than practice.
You directly into the police force.
Architects, lawyers etc. are always doing custom work. Training means doing the same work over and over.
It's linked to social standing. Professions that are respected are called practices. Because if you go fishing, its a new circumstance each time, new weather, new water, new fish patterns, so fishing is also custom work, it's just not looked up to.
"You can be anything you want, all it takes is practice."
True? Or not?
Well, you need some basic talent for that.
Positive feedback is the most important thing, without it, you can't improve
If you do something for 10,000hours, before 21 years old, then you can be the best at that. They will get skilled at things people aren't aware of, and it becomes a big human resource.
Passion is a key point, if you want to be anything, you have to have the passion, so you will practice your craft naturally,
Maybe someone has passion but not the suitable outlet for it. Or they don't even know they have this outlet.
How hard is it to figure out the "what I want" part?
Hard.
It's so hard.
We have to first experience lots of things, and try and fail a lot of time, then we can be sure this thing is what we want.
The important thing is we have to fail at it. If it's too easy, and you hit a barrier, then you give up... You have to fail and still want it, then you know it's your passion.
There has to be a balance between dream and reality. Maybe the dream is too big to realize.
But reality is very harsh. Maybe...
But the thing is, you have to listen to other people's opinions, he says that in his talk.
But you have to take into account your own situation, you have to make a judgement about what is said.
So you have to listen to other people, but in the context of your own heart.
What is apathy?
Apathy is about hopelessness.
Is apathy related to the boom in social networking sites?
People go on fb for recognition, connecting with old friends, find new friends, make up for being unhappy at work.
It's different generations. Speaker's generation is about wanting to be good at something. The new generation is all about fronting.
Final statements:
"The fear of being embarrassed is holding us all back."
I like this quote, because, when I was young, I was very shy, because when if I had the chance to communicate with other people that I didn't know, I can't express my ideas easily. Because at that time I was very embarrassed, so I can't do something new or meet some new friends. But after I practiced and practiced I forgot about my nervousness and could step outside my comfort zone. And from that time, I could do, I think I became more brave and could do new things. So if people forgot being nervous and what people think of them, they will be better.
I like the practice part. I think everyone in Taiwan have to think about what your dream and the reality that's true. But if you want to be something you have to practice, and the passion that if you want to do something, you just know it's our passion. And if you keep doing it you'll be something, you'll be someone, it's the rule. Because in my experience, my major is diplomacy, but it ends up that, I want to dance, I know what I really want to do, and what I really don't want to do. And the passion keeps me doing it. But I still try to explore myself, whether it's before 21 or whatever, everyone should try to explore themselves.
I like the word passion, because to find really what you want is very difficult, and I changed my major several times, I majored in animal science, and when I was an post-graduate student I did eco-engineering. And then I entered the first company, it's about corporate social responsibility. And right now I’m working for Cathay financial holdings, in the PR department, so it's totally different! But I think, for me, it's a journey, its not...I think you can do everything you want, and you cannot regret that. So even though you change your direction, it also has value. You don't have to just choose one thing and practice that and get very good.. That's difficult for most people. Just keep your passion, and try everything you want, and maybe you’ll find what you want to get.
I conclude, for this question, dignity and loss of face is the big challenge for me in the past. People see me as very cheerful and passionate, people who know me for a long time know my talking is nonsense. So I know that, so I try to making myself to fail, and people give me advice and I try to accept the fail, embrace the failure and try to grow up. So if you can be aware how to continue to do your learning, you can have your passion for your goal. If its an unhappy story, you can still end up find something interesting to do. Even after my dignity and face is lost...now I try to make myself not fail, at least fail less than before. It's hard. But passion, dignity, loss of face, its really hard, but you have to believe in yourself to break through the difficult part. Then you will bring you new life. I haven't got the breakthrough yet, but, I hope I can.
