You Can’t Be Amazing Without Practice!
It’s not about you or me or being self-centered when you read the title of this Rambling, it’s about developing our God-given talents and sharing them with those around us.

This phrase: You can’t be amazing without practice! struck me when watching a 60 Minutes story of extraordinarily musically talented children, all from the same family from England. In fact, the oldest son (19), Sheku Kanneh-Mason (whose eldest sister is a world-renowned pianist) was asked to play at Prince Harry’s and Meghan’s wedding. What struck me about this story was when the youngest sister (~13), who is reportedly the most talented of them all, was asked if her extraordinary and amazing talents will surpass her brother’s, she simply said;

              “I don’t know, but I do know that you can’t be amazing without practice!”

Think about that: Are there people you know who you think, “They’re so talented, but they just didn’t achieve as much as they could have!” Have you ever thought that of yourself? Do you wonder if you have used the talents God has given you as fully as you could? I can honestly say I have “missed the boat” in some situations and stages of my life.

Redefining the Measures of Success
All that said, how do we define talent and maximizing it? Who determines whether we have or have not used our talents to their fullest? What is the measuring stick? Perhaps for many of us, our family of origin is the barometer. Is our position or job title or compensation a measurement tool for our lives? Who or what determines our success when it comes to service, charity, mentoring, or some other pursuit that defines “success”?  There is no singular right answer as everyone bases what is right for them on the environment they live in. Others may disagree, but that’s what’s great about a democratic society—we have the right and freedom to have differing opinions and objectives as long as they are (arguably) expressed with civility and understanding, legally, and humanely. (It’s sad to say this is something that has become harder to come by in recent years).

I have been blessed and honored to assist (I mean ASSIST) in carrying the sword, with the talented staff at Augsburg University, on behalf of and in honor of my parents, in fulfilling the mission of the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work at Augsburg—a center named in tribute to my parents. I was often asked by Mom when the idea was developing, “What does meaningful work mean? I do not fully understand!”

The answer to that question is part of the theme of this Rambling. Augsburg strives to help students (who are spending an extraordinary amount of money to attend Augsburg) have a sense about how they will use their education, life experiences, interests, passions, gifts, and desires to help others. To help the students identify their talents, interests and develop the skills to maximize their ability to benefit others around them. The ultimate goal is to help students develop a life that, when they look back, they feel that they were enough, they did their best, they made difference, they became AMAZING!

We all have the ability to become AMAZING through practice. Not amazing for the purpose of self-centeredness, pride, or arrogance, but AMAZING in how we impact the lives of those around us and perhaps change lives. We do this through a commitment to excellence and developing personal traits that exhibit the kindness of our hearts. I would be remiss if I did not also emphasize:

I challenge myself  and encourage others to do the same – Do all of this at the same time as you fully embrace the wonders of life, having fun, and being grateful for what we have.