My singing Guru's response to my despondent question.

Me: "Sir, I am getting this bad feeling that after all this practice, my singing has actually become worse..."
Guruji (smiling): "Don't worry. You always sang like that. Now you have begun to understand it."

I did not know whether to laugh or cry. But yes, it was a step forward. Understanding where I was wrong was the first step towards making it right.

Bonus advice (added 23 Nov 2014):
This one was not from a teacher but my boss (well, my boss' boss' boss - a director) .I was dealing with a 'high maintenance employee' and was trying for weeks to help her. And it wasn't working. He was urging me to give her strong feedback, give a low rating and let her go.

Me: "It's just that I hate to give up on a team member. I have dealt with many such employees before and have managed to make it work."
Him: "I am not asking you to give up. I am asking you to reconsider your solution. If your solution does not work once, twice, thrice - you either need to change the solution yourself or you need to ask for help."

I suddenly realized that maybe my 'help' was more about 'me' than her. My 'persistence' might have been an excuse for avoiding a tough decision.

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