“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh
After a friend shared one of her guitar performances, I told her that I always wanted to play the guitar. Rather than let the comment slide by or say “it’s too late,” she encouraged me to do it. Author Julia Cameron calls those rare people “believing mirrors” – humans who encourage rather than criticize, build up rather than break down, who anchor in abundance and invite others in. We all need more believing mirrors in our life and to be one as well.
A simple conversation transformed a lingering thought into action.
I asked her for advice on selecting a guitar to take “I’ve always wanted to” to “I am doing it now.” She generously walked me through the process, encouraged and inspired me to buy a guitar from Sweetwater (highly recommend). Within a week, a beautiful “real” guitar arrived at my doorstep. Serendipitously, a few weeks earlier, I received a Great Courses catalog in the mail. All of their courses look interesting and I’ve always wanted to order a few but never did. One of the four courses that I ordered was on learning the guitar. Perfect timing and the stars aligned. The course format is awesome as the instructor weaves history and story into clear and concise 40 minute lessons – both instructional and inspirational.
For the past few weeks, I have been practicing at least 15-20 minutes each day and leaving space between lessons to comprehend concepts and improve through repetition. My fingertips are sore but are toughening up each day. At first, I didn’t think I would ever get my fingers to move how they should with my left third finger being a bit of a straggler. Rather than giving up, I keep imperfectly and slowly committing time each day to practice, treating it more like a marathon than a sprint. There’s no hurry and the process itself is the gift. Time, repetition and practice work. Each day, I am getting more dexterity in my fingers and seeing slow progress.
“Because when you truly believe your story of practicing, it has the power to turn routine into a route, to resolve your discordant voices, and to transform the harshest, most intense disappointment into the very reason you continue.” – Glenn Kurtz, Practicing: A Musician’s Return to Music
When we tune out dissenting voices - others and our own - and allow our believing mirrors to guide our path and next best step, we discover joy in learning, in the pursuit of doing activities that grow and expand us. There will be naysayers and your own limiting beliefs that will speak up. Let them say their piece and then carry on. The more you do, the quieter they get. Resistance is defeated by action.
Start that activity that you have always wanted to try. Experiment, play and wander. Trust the process of practice, of action to do its work in you. Messy, imperfect, doing and learning. Apply yourself daily, expand and deepen. It is NEVER, EVER, too late.
“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” – Leonardo da Vinci
