Moving Forward: Great Quote

"The greatest obstacle to being heroic is the doubt whether one may not be going to prove one's self a fool; the truest heroism is, to resist the doubt; and the profoundest wisdom, to know when it ought to be resisted, and when to be obeyed." – Nathaniel Hawthorne (from The Blithedale Romance)

I think one of the hardest lessons to learn when learning a second language is that it is OK to make mistakes. Building confidence is huge, and making mistakes is part of the process. I remember trying not to speak Norwegian with my friend Morten when I was at folkehogskole (something I probably hid well until now) because I was so embarrassed at how bad I probably sounded. However, I slowly learned to get over that personal hurdle. In hindsight, it was actually friends like Morten who taught me most of what I know and gave me some of my best memories.
Being a hero and learning a language are definitely not the same thing, but there are parallels here. They say every journey begins with a single step. You’re not going anywhere unless you get out there. You’re never going to accomplish anything (and who knows if that something might be heroic in some way?) if you don’t have enough faith in yourself to get both feet wet. Granted, trusting your gut is not always a bad thing, but it truly is knowing when you really need to be quiet and not - and being willing to get out there when you don't - that makes the difference. Having the courage to get out there, make mistakes, and practice your language skills is truly the best way to buff them up!