SUCCESS.
It's what everyone wants but never seems to say they have. Why is that?
Let's take a closer look, shall we.
What defines success? {insert dictionary entry here}
Everywhere today we see images of success reminding us helpless common folk that we aren't doing well enough. A half-hour rerun provides enough well placed advertising to convince me that I am too fat, not pretty, don't have enough money, not liked, and that I will remain single the rest of my life just so I can hold out for that dashing fellow with wavy hair and perfect smile.
After every performance, I immediately re-examine every detail to determine if I was successful. Was I good? Did I miss a note....or ten? What was the audience thinking? Did I look okay? Are they judging me? On. and on. and on. The minute that I stop performing (regardless of the medium), I imagine a little switch in my brain going off and the wave of self deprecating thoughts begins.
The same inevitably happened on Sunday. I was singing at the wedding of two dear friends at church. I was excited and honored to be singing for them. The vast majority of the piece went really well. I had spent ample time warming up, I was confident, everything was really clear...I could sense good things were happening.
Then, heading into the last section, I kind of lost it. Now, the wheels didn't fall off the car, but they certainly skidded. I was able to find my way back, but it certainly didn't go unnoticed.
I knew I sang okay (by my limited standards....), but it still wasn't good enough for me. Now do I always know for sure what sounds good in my voice and what doesn't? Absolutely not. I even started apologizing to people for my performance, which is absolutely ridiculous now that I think about it.
Was I successful? Was it perfect? Or just good enough?
No, it wasn't perfect. But perfect and successful aren't the same thing. First of all, no one can be "perfect". Second, I would think that things that are perfect aren't always successful.I can't think of a good example right now, but give me time. It'll come.....
Success can be measured by how you impact those around you. The look on the bride's face that morning was all I needed to see to know that I was successful.
Though I imagine it will take an insane amount of mental power, I'm going to try and apply this to many areas in my life. As much as it may seem to "help" at the time, negativity feeds negative action, which leads to more self deprecation. Picture the Wile E. Coyote falling off a cliff and then getting flattened by an anvil, which then explodes. Not the desired result, obviously.
Here is my challenge to you: in everything you do today, find your successes. Acknowledge them, celebrate them, and then expand upon them. Keep growing, keep learning, and see how you are successful. Then, let me know how it goes!
