Clapping

              I used to be a part-time stage actor. I was onstage in mini-theaters. So, I know that most of the actors in mini-theaters don’t get paid a performance fee. They only get applause from the audience of the show. So, I wanted to clap strongly and loudly when I went to theaters as a member of the audience. But I couldn’t. I was not a good clapper. My hands couldn’t make a loud sound, and I couldn’t clap for a long time. If I kept clapping for a long time, my hands were painful. I always wanted be a good clapper.

              By the way, I was not a religious person, because my parents were not religious people. So, our house didn’t have any family altar.

             When my father passed away, I decided to have an altar in our home. I also started to pray in front of the altar every morning.

              Praying in the traditional Japanese Shinto way is by bowing twice, clapping the hands twice, and then bowing again.

              People who are more religious than me do this every morning and evening. I am not that religious, so I just did it every morning.

              About eight years later, I found out my clapping had changed. I had become a good clapper. I never felt pain, even if I clapped for a long time. My clapping had become louder. If I clap as powerfully as I can, other members of the audience would be surprised and look at me. 

              I clap twice every morning. In this way, I practiced clapping for eight years. It made me a good clapper.

              I think this practice method can be used in other fields.

              When we want to master something, we tend to practice very hard. We could practice from morning to night every day. But in most cases, this would make us tired. In most cases, we would quit. This is why most of us are quitters.

              If you want to master something, practice twice every morning. Practice sincerely, like praying. If you have more passion, you can practice every evening too. If you continue this practice style, you can master anything in a few years.

              The Shinto praying style may contain a hidden message from the ancient Japanese.

              There must be many things we should learn from ancient peoples.

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