If I were to have a conversation with myself one year ago, I’m sure my former self would not believe where I am now and all the things I have accomplished since then. Just a few years ago, I was a drummer, playing in a couple of little bands, jamming in my garage, and performing gigs when I could. While fun, I realized my musical expertise didn’t stretch far past my drum kit. Up until High School, I was content with this. However, I soon discovered whole worlds I had yet to explore, like writing melodies, mixing and mastering songs, and making real music.
I watched as all of my musically inclined friends immersed themselves in music, playing multiple instruments, familiarizing themselves with different DAWs, and gathering a rock solid understanding of theory. I soon grew tired and frustrated with my singular and limited role as a percussionist and I knew it wouldn't be long before my proficiency in this one area wouldn’t make up for my deficiencies in so many others.
At first, I didn't understand why there was such a disparity between my capabilities and those of my friends. I was so passionate about my craft and drumming that I thought of practicing more as a recreational activity. During summers I would log up to 40 hours a week, honing my skill. I was putting in the time and I felt I had the passion, yet the gap grew wider.
Then one day I was setting up chairs in my high school's band room and I saw a textbook on music. Drawn in by the cool pictures on the front, I picked it up without any intention of reading it. As I casually flipped through the pages, I began to feel guilty, but also a little excited. Everything I wanted to know was staring right back at me from the pages of this textbook.
And then it hit me — the reason I wasn’t in the same place as my friends was because I wasn’t challenging myself. I was comfortable playing drums because I was good at them. I knew I wouldn’t disappoint anyone filling the role of percussionist, so I ended up shying away from everything I wasn't good at and stayed confined to my self-designated lane.
It was this aversion to discomfort and failure that stood between my goals and me. And the more I thought about it, the more parallels I was able to draw in other unrelated areas of my life. I realized that by constantly trying to run away from the hard things in life, I had stunted my ability to deal with adversity and challenges. From that point, I resolved to change this in myself, conquer my mind, and develop a strong will power.
So, I began by with simple changes, such as going to bed at a reasonable hour, eating healthier, and reading everyday. By doing this, I slowly began to break all my bad habits and create new ones that gave me the resources I needed to move forward, to explore, and to grow. Before long, I noticed I didn't dread difficult tasks as much, and I felt as if I had hacked my mind.
In the past, if I wanted something that was hard to obtain, my weak will would have been a roadblock. With this new change in attitude, however, I feel as though if I set my mind to it, I can accomplish anything.
With my newfound epiphany, I set out to finally be the musician and person I had always wanted to be. I took online classes, read books, and listened to podcasts, all with ease and efficiency. In doing this, I learned far more than I ever thought possible, opening up new worlds that had only ever layed just beyond the limits of my comfort zone I had confined myself to for years.
Ultimately, I’m glad I learned this lesson early on. I believe the human brain can both limit our lives and expand them beyond our wildest imaginations. For my part, I’m excited to explore the latter, where everything is full of potential and my only limit is my determination and will.
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