--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best teachers have showed me that…" description: "\"“The best teachers have showed me that things have to be done bit by bit. Nothing that means anything happens quickly--we only think it does. The motio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/joseph-bruchac-22507_arrow_the-best-teachers-have-showed-me-that-th_2634314.jpg" --- # The best teachers have showed me that things have to be… ![“The best teachers have showed me that things have to be done bit by bit. Nothing that means anything happens quickly--we only think it does. The motion of drawing back a bow and sending an arrow straight into a target takes only a split second, but it is a skill many years in the making. So it is…” quote by Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/joseph-bruchac-22507_arrow_the-best-teachers-have-showed-me-that-th_2634314.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/joseph-bruchac-22507_arrow_the-best-teachers-have-showed-me-that-th_2634314.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/joseph-bruchac-22507_arrow_the-best-teachers-have-showed-me-that-th_2634314.jpg) > ““The best teachers have showed me that things have to be done bit by bit. Nothing that means anything happens quickly--we only think it does. The motion of drawing back a bow and sending an arrow straight into a target takes only a split second, but it is a skill many years in the making. So it is with a life, anyone's life. I may list things that might be described as my accomplishments in these few pages, but they are only shadows of the larger truth, fragments separated from the whole cycle of becoming. And if I can tell an old-time story now about a man who is walking about, waudjoset ndatlokugan, a forest lodge man, alesakamigwi udlagwedewugan, it is because I spent many years walking about myself, listening to voices that came not just from the people but from animals and trees and stones.”” [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True mastery and lasting change come from patient, incremental effort, not instant results; skill is built over years of practice. **In simple terms:** Great things require steady, patient work. Key Takeaway Embrace gradual progress. Themes patience skill growth Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - personal development - craftsmanship - spiritual practice - environmental listening Key Concepts incremental learning mindfulness interconnectedness Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice patience daily? - What small steps build your long‑term goals? A Different Perspective Quick fixes ignore deep learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-teacher/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Skill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skill/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [The best teachers have showed me that things have to be done bit by bit. Nothing that means anything happens quickly--we only think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/the-best-teachers-have-showed-me-that-things-have-to-be-done-bit-by/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [“But if the arrow is straight And the point is slick, It can pierce through dust no matter how thick. So I'll make my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/but-if-the-arrow-is-straight-and-the-point-is-slick-it-can-pierce/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Walking. I am listening to a deeper way. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still, they say. Watch and listen. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-hogan/walking-i-am-listening-to-a-deeper-way-suddenly-all-my-ancestors-are/) [Linda Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-hogan/) > [“Cupid's arrow is straight and sharp, never misses its mark, but it leaves one hell of an exit wound.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-preston/cupid-s-arrow-is-straight-and-sharp-never-misses-its-mark-but-it/) Dave Preston > [Being in New York, I have fallen in love with walking and listening to podcasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-campbell/being-in-new-york-i-have-fallen-in-love-with-walking-and-listening-to/) [Danielle Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-campbell/) > [I like walking around and listening to music. When my steps coincide with a beat, in my head I feel in unison with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-eisold/i-like-walking-around-and-listening-to-music-when-my-steps-coincide/) [Wesley Eisold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-eisold/) > [Like a rock, standing arrow straight. Like a rock, charging from the gate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-seger/like-a-rock-standing-arrow-straight-like-a-rock-charging-from-the-gate/) [Bob Seger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-seger/) > [“John Hay, in The Immortal Wilderness , has written: 'There are occasions when you can hear the mysterious language of the Earth, in water,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-hogan/john-hay-in-the-immortal-wilderness-has-written-there-are-occasions/) [Linda Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-hogan/) > [The best teachers have shown me that things have to be done bit by bit. Nothing that means anything happens quickly - we only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/the-best-teachers-have-shown-me-that-things-have-to-be-done-bit-by/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [Baking isLife. So when you describe what you're making, you must describe life. Do you see? It's not just recipes..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-colgan/baking-islife-so-when-you-describe-what-you-re-making-you-must/) [Jenny Colgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-colgan/) > [The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-arts-are-not-a-way-to-make-a-living-they-are-a-very-human-way-of/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“It's the process of making-do, of the life I've lived between breakdowns and break-ups, that has made life worth living. I could not bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-santiago-baca/it-s-the-process-of-making-do-of-the-life-i-ve-lived-between/) [Jimmy Santiago Baca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-santiago-baca/) > [Learning to live what you're born with is the process, the involvement, the making of a life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-wakoski/learning-to-live-what-you-re-born-with-is-the-process-the-involvement/) [Diane Wakoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-wakoski/) > [I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-ve-learned-that-you-can-tell-a-lot-about-a-person-by-the-way-he-she/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [As time goes by, you seem to weed out the things that were making your life hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/as-time-goes-by-you-seem-to-weed-out-the-things-that-were-making-your/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) ## More by Joseph Bruchac > [Do we make ourselves into what we become or is it built into our genes, into the fate spun for us by whatever shapes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/do-we-make-ourselves-into-what-we-become-or-is-it-built-into-our/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [“The old man must have stopped our car two dozen times to climb out and gather into his hands the small toads blinded by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/the-old-man-must-have-stopped-our-car-two-dozen-times-to-climb-out/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [Guilt can make you doubt yourself at the very moment when you need to proceed with certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/guilt-can-make-you-doubt-yourself-at-the-very-moment-when-you-need-to/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [Knowledge is easy to come by. Understanding what you know takes much longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/knowledge-is-easy-to-come-by-understanding-what-you-know-takes-much/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [There are many people who could claim and learn from their Indian ancestry, but because of the fear their parents and grandparents knew, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/there-are-many-people-who-could-claim-and-learn-from-their-indian/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [The best teachers have showed me that things have to be done bit by bit. Nothing that means anything happens quickly--we only think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/the-best-teachers-have-showed-me-that-things-have-to-be-done-bit-by/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [There is a kind of certainty that seems to characterize Jared Smith's best work, an understanding about place and the flow of spirit that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/there-is-a-kind-of-certainty-that-seems-to-characterize-jared-smith-s/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [It is important to understand that there are many different ways of seeing the world and expressing the wisdom of Native belief...No one voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/it-is-important-to-understand-that-there-are-many-different-ways-of/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [Native people such as the Cherokees are just as human and complex and real as Americans are, and our nation needs to respect American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/native-people-such-as-the-cherokees-are-just-as-human-and-complex-and/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [“So it is that both this breathing moment and what is called "the future"are always linked with what is called "the past." So it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/so-it-is-that-both-this-breathing-moment-and-what-is-called-the/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [“Librarians. . . have been my lifelong friends, guides and heroes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/librarians-have-been-my-lifelong-friends-guides-and-heroes/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [When the Lakota leader Sitting Bull was asked by a white reporter why his people loved and respected him, Sitting Bull replied by asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/when-the-lakota-leader-sitting-bull-was-asked-by-a-white-reporter-why/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [“I wish you had been there with me in that picture,” he used to say to Wilsie and me. “It is so lonely being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/i-wish-you-had-been-there-with-me-in-that-picture-he-used-to-say-to/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [We need to walk to know sacred places, those around us and those within. We need to walk to remember the songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/we-need-to-walk-to-know-sacred-places-those-around-us-and-those/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [A journal is a very personal thing. As far as possible, to write this sort of book you need to know and feel your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/a-journal-is-a-very-personal-thing-as-far-as-possible-to-write-this/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) [Explore all 27 Joseph Bruchac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) ## More Arrow quotes > [I'll get that arrow, pretty boy, and I'll do it with my shirt \*on\*. -Yao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mulan/i-ll-get-that-arrow-pretty-boy-and-i-ll-do-it-with-my-shirt-on-yao/) [Mulan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mulan/) > [Enough for this bow & arrow. It caused me nothing but sorrow. No need for another tomorrow. In your heart, I will never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louaiq8/enough-for-this-bow-arrow-it-caused-me-nothing-but-sorrow-no-need-for/) Louaiq8 > [The main thing is to have strings to your bow. You get your badges, you see where life is, and then you see what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-campbell/the-main-thing-is-to-have-strings-to-your-bow-you-get-your-badges-you/) [Sol Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-campbell/) > [There are ceremonious bows that repel one like a cudgel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/there-are-ceremonious-bows-that-repel-one-like-a-cudgel/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [Game of Thrones. I'm all about it. I watch Arrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-r-mcqueen/game-of-thrones-i-m-all-about-it-i-watch-arrow/) [Steven R. McQueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-r-mcqueen/) > [“Took an arrow in the knee on my way through the Eld three summers ago. It gives out every now and then.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/took-an-arrow-in-the-knee-on-my-way-through-the-eld-three-summers-ago/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [My Band, Pierce the Arrow, is my other passion along with acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-sandoval/my-band-pierce-the-arrow-is-my-other-passion-along-with-acting/) [Tom Sandoval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-sandoval/) > [If you shoot an arrow and it goes real high... Hooray for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorian-corey/if-you-shoot-an-arrow-and-it-goes-real-high-hooray-for-you/) [Dorian Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorian-corey/) > [You can learn from an ordinary bamboo leaf what ought to happen. It bends lower and lower under the weight of snow. Suddenly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/you-can-learn-from-an-ordinary-bamboo-leaf-what-ought-to-happen-it/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [“It was chosen by the archer and though it is a long way off, we cannot blame it when we fail to hit it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-was-chosen-by-the-archer-and-though-it-is-a-long-way-off-we-cannot/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Follow your arrow / Wherever it points,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacey-musgraves/follow-your-arrow-wherever-it-points/) [Kacey Musgraves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kacey-musgraves/) > [If the work is high and far, You must not only aim aright, But draw the bow with all your might.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-the-work-is-high-and-far-you-must-not-only-aim-aright-but-draw-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“How did you kill the Ashman in the forest last year?” “I shot him with an arrow.” “What kind of arrow?” “A sharp one.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-fine/how-did-you-kill-the-ashman-in-the-forest-last-year-i-shot-him-with/) [Chelsea Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-fine/) > [If someone comes along and shoots an arrow into your heart, it’s fruitless to stand there and yell at the person. It would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/if-someone-comes-along-and-shoots-an-arrow-into-your-heart-it-s/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [I must only warn you of one thing. You have become a different person in the course of these years. For this is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/i-must-only-warn-you-of-one-thing-you-have-become-a-different-person/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) Browse all 232 Arrow quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The best teachers have showed me that things have to be done bit by bit. Nothing that means anything happens quickly--we only think it does. The motion of drawing back a bow and sending an arrow straight into a target takes only a split second, but it is a skill many years in the making. So it is with a life, anyone's life. I may list things that might be described as my accomplishments in these few pages, but they are only shadows of the larger truth, fragments separated from the whole cycle of becoming. 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