Realizing What You Know,And Moving Forward

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busking, Choose Yourself!, honoring Your Talents, Inspiration, motivation, Moving Forward, Self Employment, teaching, Using Your Gifts

      I’ve been reading a book called “Choose Yourself!” by James Altucher and what an amazing read this is- I got the Kindle version for 99¢ and I owe him a HUGE thank you. This book really unveils a lot about the current era as far as making ones way thru the world without dipping into methods that worked in previous eras,like working a regular job. The author has shown me that on several levels my opinions on working the regular 9-5 gig has been correct: it’s a huge waste of time,and as an employee your boss could care less about you,never mind that you’ll never be paid what you’re worth…..so you’re stuck on a treadmill that never ends. I’ve done that twice in my life,working two gigs at two different jobs for nearly 10 years each. In the end? I couldn’t move up in either place of employment (I wasn’t part of the “original clique”) ,my pay wasn’t living wage,my bosses seemed to have a “thing” against me as well as my co workers,this after I had invested years of effort and giving it “my all” to prove myself as an employee and to “move up”. Lesson learned: managers and supervisors hate those who are smarter than they are because they feel threatened and intimidated. That’s when the really abusive treatment starts in those nebulous ways you can’t pinpoint or file a complaint about. (No,this isn’t going to be a rant-read on,cause it gets brighter)

     James goes on to show you the mind set and methods of moving forward in the “Choose Yourself!” era and it’s all about doing your own thing…..which includes having your failures,dusting off your knees after getting up,and giving it another try. He’s confirmed that my thoughts about working for corporates was spot on-even waaay back in the 90’s. There’s a ton of good advice in the book and I haven’t even finished it yet. 

     He’s gotten me to realize I’m indeed something special. (we all are,I think-some of us just don’t realize it yet) I used to put myself down for playing multiple instruments……call myself “scatterbrained” “nonfocused” and “Indecisive”. Why couldn’t I be like most folks who are content with one instrument,for cryin out loud? Reading this I realize what an amazing gift I’ve been handed. To be able to play at least 4 instruments well and read music for them is a pretty astonishing feat,if I do say so myself. I think the inspiration for that came from a girl in Australia when I was in grade school. We exchanged a few letters (snail mail for the younger folk out there) and I was blown away to read that she played something like five different instruments. She wasn’t even a teen yet! I don’t even remember if I was learning guitar yet at that time-my first instrument. But it made a deep impression on me. 

     The next thing the book triggered has been answering the question of “what am I doing with it?” Not much. Which has been insane. Partially due to my upbringing,which I have written about before-in short,my mom wasn’t going to have her guitarist daughter playing for anybody. Period. Such a thing was deemed to be a show of ego and wanting to be the center of attention,which was seen as the most repulsive thing a person cold do,not to mention I was a Leo,and to my astrological chartin’ momma,that was also disastrous.  I have unconsciously carried out her wishes for decades,tho she left the planet over 12 years ago. 

      What would I think of a multi talented person who never shared their talents for others? I’d think them nuts. I’d be saying to them” “what’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you playing for others????” I also read in this book there’s a dude out there that does all his music performing via utube. He more than supports himself doing it,never performs live anywhere. Holy crap-I could be doing that! He even sells his CDs over the web. No touring,nothing like that. The book has taken away any excuse I have used,thank God. 

     Get a copy of this book because it opens a lot of doors in your mind-lately,I’ve been pondering using my comedic gifts-not the stand up variety,mind you….not sure what I’ll do with it yet-but I’ve always been able to get folks laughing. 

     Honor your talents and gifts even if you were told not to-and share them. Everyone has a talent or two,and was placed here now to share them. This is a way of “being the light” in the world,and the world desperately needs it at this time. No person would ever be born on this Earth without a talent/gift that would enable them to make their way thru the world. Spirit knows that $$ is needed to function here and would never send you out without a way to earn it in an honest way. Be sure to realize the working 9-5 thing is a way of life that’s dying out. We’re being freed from our shackles that have taken the form of time cards and cubicles and assembly lines. Go out and do. 

 

Why Do We Overlook What We Can Offer?

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bartering, blooming, busking, dance, inner critic, making $ from your talent, music, painting, performing, teaching

       I’ll be the first to say business in my online store, Mandolin Babe’s Pickin Parlour  has been slow lately. I know it’s summer,and most folks are either out & about a lot,doing music fests,on vacation,at he beach,or in the yard. So this means I have to up my MPCs. (multiple profit centers) So I thought about teaching beginning mandolin,banjitar,and baritone ukulele. And it stayed as a thought. WHY????

    I opened a Skype account. Picked out what book I’d be using to teach out of. And yet,to do the deed,I just sat for another week. Does this sound familiar? And why do we do it? 

    My savings has been doing a steady decline since I quit the abusive to me part time job I had nearly a year ago. Signs have been showing for months that I need to do something. Getting another “loser fixed income” job is for me,out of the question. Enough is enough. Why are we,as musical women,so dang chicken to get out there and show what we know??? 

    So I went inward. Meditated. Got messages in my dreams and from my guides & guardian angels. “What’s my problem with this?” I asked. 

    There’s no one answer,but I’ll share what I discovered so far as to what had held me back. 

  #1 You don’t feel like you’re a professional. Yet. I’ve played guitar since I was 11. I’m nearly 50 now. Good grief how many years of playing experience do I feel I need???? This is a result of my ego/inner critic at work. It also put in my head that music teachers have always been music teachers. I know that cannot be true and every music book author and player today had probably held jobs they didn’t like in the past. 

   #2 Other peoples opinions. Shockingly enough,when I announced I wanted to teach,a very close relative poised the question: “are you good enough?” HUH? This was coming from a non musician. He was forced on violin as a child thru high school,and hated it. Hadn’t touched an instrument in decades. Still considers himself to be vastly musically knowledgeable. Yet my ego bought into that one too and it was like a pin going into my balloon and the air just leaked out. That comment made me doubt myself terribly. I backed off. More $ going out than coming in. But I backed off. Inner critic victory again. 

#3 I have very little teaching experience. Well,true but all music teachers have very little teaching experience in the beginning. Gotta start somewhere,right? Yet I backed down and didn’t promote the lessons I wanted to offer. Inner Critic strikes yet again. 

     Okay,now I know what is holding me back. Basically,I need to tell my inner critic to shush and go away. Also need to quit listening to well intended others when what comes out of their mouths makes me doubt myself and my abilities. And get in the swing of using affirmations and positive creative visualization. But it brings another bigger question. 

Why Do We Overlook What We Can Offer? 

In the present world,needing to make $ is up front in everybody’s mind. But-media pushes you must have a “job” meaning whatever talents you have that you can teach to others is useless. That’s simply not true. If you can dance,sing,sew,knit,paint,whatever it is you do you can teach it,create it,and sell it. Period. 

    Wayne Erbsen is a fine example. He started teaching after maybe a couple of months of playing banjo. What gumption. What drive. What daring do. And it worked and continues to work for him-he teaches to this day on various instruments.

   And don’t forget bartering. If you’re low on cash,would you be willing to barter a guitar lesson for getting your lawn mowed? A lesson or two in dance for getting a room painted? Perhaps someone wants to barter with you. This is another form of bringing prosperity. No money exchanged,but an exchange of talents. Show me how to move my feet and you’ll have a room in the color you want. (but be sure to agree on paper on a time constraint on this!) 

     Never let the so called “modern world” tell you your clawhammer talent on banjo isn’t worth something. Or that musicians are always broke. (worse is when they tell you that musicians must always be poor. Geez!) 

   So if you’re going thru this,meditate on it and see if the answers that rang out for me do for you too. And there may be different answers for you specifically-different insights. 

 So get out there and busk,teach,show,and reap the rewards that await you.