Empathy Through Accounting

Who can forget the glorious fail pictures of Courage and I attempting to learn dressage this spring?

At the time, I was supremely frustrated with Courage. "Turning right" was the specific issue, I believe, and some days, we simply COULD NOT do it.

baby steps

Enter this fall. I'm doing some continuing education for my job. You know those people who always want to go back to school? That's not me. Didn't miss, didn't want more. But here I am. I'm taking Accounting right now. Probably a lot of you have taken it, which means you know that it's not rocket science.

It's actually quite simple, except that it's basically a whole different language. I'm a reasonably intelligent person, right?

Some days are easy. Some days are so frustrating and hard and confusing that I just want to gallop sideways into the fence and never try again (that was not a good day).

I have to laugh as I flounder my way along. To someone who knows what they're doing, my work is ridiculously simple, much like turning right.

But getting mad and yelling is never the answer. If I don't understand, I have to back off, go slower, start over, or approach the problem from a different angle.

I've been known to walk away or take the rest of the day off and try again later, because it's just not working in my brain.

And you know what?

It's working. No, I'm not a bonafide CPA overnight. That would be silly.

Instead, I'm learning to trust the system a little. Believe that if I study hard enough and do enough practice, I will get this. I'm by no means a master of the concepts and that upcoming test is a little intimidating.

But.

At least now, I know I can get there.

Like Courage.

Doing dressage.