The Parable of the Blackberry

When we first arrived in Trinidad, Grandma purchased a Blackberry. Grandpa tried using it from time to time, but each time he would need special step-by-step instructions on what buttons to push and on how to make it work. It was a bit frustrating to Grandma because she would find herself reteaching the same things she had already taught the month before.

Then it happened. Grandpa decided he needed his own Blackberry. Afterall, Grandma had upgraded her Mac computer at Christmas. Fair is fair, eh? So Grandpa got a Blackberry and has never looked back. He is always in touch with the e-mails that flood his inbasket each day.

So what is the reason why Grandpa can use the Blackberry so easily now and that he has never asked Grandma even one question about it?

The answer lies in the parable of the Blackberry. Grandpa "owns" the Blackberry in every sense of the word. He made it his quest to master all the little techniques needed to use it efficiently, except for the fact that every now and then it dials Justin during Zone Conference while floating in Grandpa's pocket. (True story....Justin heard the missionaries sing a couple of verses of a closing hymn last month.)

Last week, Dallin finished the Book of Mormon. What was his initial motivation? Part of it came from a Family Home Evening where he learned about "Heber J. Grant." President Grant as a little boy became a top baseball player, a great penman, a good singer ...all because his believe in this Emerson quote: "That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved."

Dallin set a goal - to read the Book of Mormon and achieved it. Grandpa set a goal - to master use of his Blackberry and did.

Often we look at top performers and think that they work harder, know more and are more highly motivated than others. But as Human Competence author "Thomas Gilbert" writes, "exemplary performers do things more easily that others do them." I believe that this is because they paid the price. They practiced. They prepared. And yes they "own" it just as Grandpa had to decide for himself that the Blackberry was something that he could do and it worked at it so now it is easy to do.

Activity:

Play a video game together as a family and teach the other family members "the tricks" to succeeding...but make sure they "do it themselves."

In the mission field, we have an effective way of teaching called the "training model."

Explain
Demonstrate
Practice
Evaluate
Re-Practice

Now try that plan with the video game and soon Mom might be winning!