I've been contemplating today the strange things I've learned and likely something everyone learned at some level concerning what limitations we put upon ourselves as we grow. Today, I was sharing a piece of music that I did singing, and it made me think back on all of the years I've battled with myself over that particular ability. I've shared in a post probably a couple of years ago (It's been a while) about the struggle. I was at quite a young age when I picked up the idea that I couldn't sing, and ever since I've struggled and fought with myself between the part of me that picked up this misconception and the other part that can't seem to let it go, and furthermore sharing it. It made me wonder how many more things do we tell ourselves that set us up for the same battles and limitations? How many of these things would we actually accomplish in if we loosened and tossed those poisonous chains of thought out? It appears that a lot of the limitations we find ourselves with are created by ourselves. Of course, there are things we will be better at than others, but still the thought of what could happen is astounding!
Just as my sharing my singing voice, some things are not easy to take on. I've had years and years of humiliation and heartbreak due to my trying to share. Thanks to the anxiety I developed with it, I struggled with controlling my voice, and, well, it's said most people sing flat when they're off key, but, nope, I'd go sharp, like a third up sharp, at least. LOL. I can laugh about it a little now, but it was so frustrating back then. I've had plenty of times when I questioned myself and why I even tried, but there's some sort of stubbornness that runs through the family, and I guess I'm just too stubborn to stop.
At that time I couldn't see it, but now as I look back and ask myself if I regret trying those things and experiencing all of that emotional pain, and I don't. Even though I've never become the most amazing musician the world has ever seen, there were still some valuable lessons that I learned. Many of those lessons were to how to deal with situations that were difficult, but those weren't the only lessons. One of the most important lessons I learned from all of this was that disappointments, and even ones that involved mistakes that I made, small or large, didn't define me as a person. The only definer of me is me. I'm the one who decides how those moments work for or against me, and whether I'll regress or progress from the experience.
There's something much deeper and founded than a mere bad experience. No success or lack of success is more important than that something (there may be many words by different cultures and religions given to name it, but to make it simple, I'm not giving it a name), and in that something is that real pure and authentic individual, and it's beautiful. This one important lesson I've learned above all, that because of that something, I'm a unique me, and that somewhere, somehow, I'm worth something, and for the same reason, so is everyone else. I only wish that more people understood this.
Video I was sharing today:
