Learn a New Skill for Others

Isn’t it wonderful to make someone’s dream come true? Especially if this dream seems utterly impossible? That’s the idea behind today’s gift. By acquiring a new skill, you may fulfill someone’s dream. How? Read more to find out!

A dream of a violin-playing wife

My boyfriend told me once that he had dreamt of marrying a girl who could play the violin. It’s a good thing that this dream was feebler than his desire to spend the rest of his life with me. As regards musical instruments, I can only play several chords on the guitar and a few simple tunes on the piano, using only one hand. If I was to invest my time and money in upgrading my music skills, I would probably study the classical guitar technique or enrol for singing lessons instead of taking up a completely new instrument. Yet love is a powerful motivator…

An opportunity to learn a new skill

One year, my relatives brought musical instruments for Christmas to accompany carol singing. The guests included my younger cousin, who had learned to play the violin for several years. I couldn’t miss such an opportunity! When she was free, I asked her to teach me a simple tune. Together we chose the easiest carol I knew.

Violin playing skill

Although the violin doesn’t have frets, like the guitar, the height of notes is picked in a similar way. Thus, it turned out that the devil was not so black as he was painted, and already after a few trials I memorised the sequence of moves necessary to play the carol’s verse. As a proof that I could play the violin, we recorded my achievement and sent the video to my boyfriend as a gift. Even though the execution wasn’t perfect, one could easily recognise the melody on the recording. That was a satisfactory achievement for me. As regards my boyfriend, he swelled with pride watching me fulfilling his dream and playing an instrument I had never had any contact with. Actually, it is a gift he boasts about till this very day.

Different dreams, different new skills.

There are as many dreams and ways to fulfill them as there are people.

• Did your parents dream of you dancing ballet while you were more into modern dance styles? Make their dream come true: borrow a white tulle skirt and learn some figures from YouTube. Perhaps you will find it enjoyable once you don’t feel any pressure?
• Would your kids like to have a father who not only goes to work and reads newspapers, but also raps or does freestyle? I have to admit that I have never tried it, but I believe that at least some elements of break dance can be performed by a layman. You only need to overcome your reluctance.
• Did your husband want to have a master chef for a wife, but abandoned this dream after some years of married life? Find an easy recipe for an exquisite dish or ask a friend to help you. His delight will reward you for all the time spent in the kitchen.
• Did your wife dream of a DIY-husband while you only spread your winds in the virtual world? Ask your big brother how to nail down a bookshelf. Even if it is slightly crooked, the fact that you did it on your own, fulfilling your wife’s dream, will be much more important than any imperfections.

I hope that my creative present gave you some food for thought, and you already wonder how to make someone’s dream come true. If that’s the case, share your idea in the comments below. And if you need additional motivation, watch a song from ‘Grease’ the musical, in which a well-behaved, shy Sandy puts on a black leather costume to fulfill the dreams of her boyfriend – the leader of a school gang, in exchange for him trying to become a sportsman for her.

 

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My advice:

– Since I encourage you to try a completely new skill, don’t set yourselves too ambitious targets. The aim is to show that you tried, and not to grow frustrated with an exceedingly long learning process. Besides, preparing a creative gift is supposed to be fun! Follow my example: instead of aiming for Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’, I contented myself with 22 recognisable notes of a simple carol that I could already play with one finger on the piano.

– If it’s possible, learn from someone you know and like. Owing to that, you will acquire the basics faster; you won’t waste a dime on learning a new skill that you don’t want to develop in the future, and you will spend some quality time with a friend instead of poring over the computer screen.