Skills Wishlist

What skill would you like to learn?

More skills, fewer problems, as the saying goes. Actually, the inspiring quote from Jim Rohn actually states, “Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.” Okay, I can be down with that.

I have so many skills I want to learn, not from any altruistic purpose of being better, but just purely from interest.

There are some skills I daydream about having, e.g. playing the violin well enough to be concertmaster of a major orchestra and knowing enough wushu to hire as a stunt coordinator in a kung fu movie. I like fantasizing about those skills, but I don’t actually have any intention of learning and developing them.

And then there are skills that I do want to acquire for real. Here are three off the top of my head (in random order):

• Carpentry – Ever since I made a playhouse out of the box our washing machine came in, I’ve had this delusion that I could actually build a house. In a smaller scale, I’d love to really acquire and hone woodworking skills, make old-school furniture that’s built to last. In an even tinier scale, I want to be a whittling whiz. So, basically, here’s the dream: I want to spend afternoons whittling wooden toys and figurines, sitting in a rocking chair that I made, on the porch of the cabin that I built.
• Foraging – I want to be able to step into any wilderness and be able to survive just from the food and drink that I foraged. I’m particularly interested in mastering mushrooms and berries. There’s a daydream element here; I imagine being in a survival reality show and thriving with a clever shelter that can actually serve as a long-term, sustainable home furnished with bed, a clay kiln, etc., maintaining personal hygiene from plants that serve as soap, toothpaste, etc., crafting extra clothing from woven raw fiber, and, of course, getting proper and sufficient nourishment from the land. Honestly, my downfall would be from lack of social skills.
• Whistling – This is something I’ve been working on since I was a kid, and I’m still not very good at it. I want to be able to whistle up a storm, in tune, with power. I want to be able to stick my fingers in my mouth and give a shrill whistle to hail a cab or cheer for my home team. One of these days.

These are just three of many skills I want to acquire. I’m not sure if they’ll help diminish my problems, but I know they’ll help boost my capabilities and confidence.