Is there a way to know how to do something without first doing it?

Can I know how to play the piano without first playing it?

Can I possibly, truly know how to do anything without having done it first?

I need practice. I need to learn how to do the thing I desire. I need to do it, to know it. I need to make mistakes.

I don’t know how. I’ve never done this before. I have to practice, and I have to allow for the mistakes I’ll make while I learn. It feels fair to provide myself understanding of this.

Sometimes, my mistakes are more valuable than my triumphs. Sometimes, my mistakes teach me, and grow me, in ways far more transformative.

I need both the highs and the lows for my confidence to grow. The pain and the pleasure are necessary teachers to know how.

I can’t wholly know how without experiencing both. I need their practice. I need to know I can handle both in order to confidently know I can do.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks