If you are making a patchwork quilt, it doesn’t make sense to get hung up on finding the perfect square.
Each square is unique and contributes to something greater than itself. The more sources you draw from, the more interesting the quilt will be.
Training and diet are like patchwork quilts.
We read and observe, we follow plans as their written, we begin to experiment on our own; slowly we gather our squares.
No two are exactly the same, but we find themes that fit together.
We add some squares because they are strong and resilient, others because they look similar to those of our mentors; and more simply because we like the way they look and feel.
Piece by piece, we stitch together a patchwork that is uniquely our own.
If we discover later on that a square doesn’t fit, we can always go back and replace it.
The Daily Nugget 