Coffee Shop Dreaming

I am sitting in a coffee shop warming myself by the fire they so thoughtfully make available to us on a cold winter’s day. Above my head is a speaker that is providing all different types of music. What strikes me about this is that each song is from a completely different genre - Rock, Jazz, Classical, Country, Folk, World, and Alternative. Each piece has its own beauty and gift. I have to wonder about the musicians. What brought them to this place where they create in their own style this level of music in which you can hear their mastery? It’s an important question for me as I am in the middle of working on my own first CD and it applies also to the books I am writing.

I think many would tell me that it’s the hours of practice and study and training. You hear so many stories of the musicians who spend 6 hours a day in practice and several more studying theory and technique. However, I’m not sure that’s the truth. I spent a year studying music (voice) in college and watched many of these phenomenally talented musicians doing that very thing – they lived in the music hall, had no life outside of the practice rooms and classrooms. But, you hear nothing from them now. Some have completely disappeared, and most now teach rather than perform in the way they once dreamed of.

Many of the musicians you actually hear and love have been told at least once, if not more often, that they didn’t have what it takes to be successful. They could practice until their fingers fell off or they lost their voice completely and would never be anyone in the music world and yet they are.

So, what’s the key? I think there are a couple of keys. One is found in the phrase “they once dreamed of.” What happened to that dream? In letting go of the dream, reality changed for them and we hear someone else instead of them. What we think on and what we dream of with our entire being ends up happening. One key at least, then, is never stop dreaming of those moments in which you are doing what you really love and being wonderfully successful at it.

Another key is in allowing that still small voice inside of you room to become loud enough to drown out those who would say “you can’t” or “you won’t.” There is a moment inside of us that chooses to listen or not listen. At some point, if we wish live who we really are, we must choose to no longer listen to those who would say “you can’t.” What I love is that the choice is always yours. There may have been a time, or many times, when you listened to the “you can’t” voices but you can always, ALWAYS make a different choice at any time. It’s one of the most beautiful things about being human.

Learn to listen to that part of you that simply aches with longing to do one thing or another – whatever that is. That is the voice. It’s soft at first, especially if we have buried it deeply, but it will grow louder as we nourish the sound of that dream - that knowing - until that still, small voice becomes delighted laughter and expression. Awaken to the moment of realization that “this is mine to do in this life,” and simply choose it – every moment of every day. Trust and believe that in this way we can best express our connection to That Which Is and our connection to ourselves – when we connect to one, we connect to the other. There is a point where we either walk away from what we dream of or we take a breath, stretch our hands out to the sides, close our eyes and step off. Though training and effort might be needed, no amount of training can make up for that moment.

Top Photo:  Campfire on the WA State Penisula - Collins Campground

Bottom Photo: by Patrick Corrigan - My hands playing the first time I was in the Opus4 recording studios