Reminder: Enjoy the Ride

Somewhere along the way, I started taking things too seriously again. It's a tough balancing act. On the one hand, I want to be good. I want to perform. And the more I perform, the more I want to perform. The snowball grows (in my head), and I start getting frustrated because "things aren't happening".

It's all in my head.

I have to keep reminding myself that there are certain things beyond my control. There's no way to make someone book me. There's no way to make someone put me on TV. There's no way to make someone publish my book.

It's okay to want these things, but don't let the desire for these things take over.

The #1 focus should be on the things I can control. Remember? Writing is strictly up to me. My attitude is mine, too. Rehearsing isn't anybody else's domain. As long as I keep focusing on doing whatever it is I need to do to improve myself, not only will I enjoy the ride more, but I'll also be giving myself the best chance of success on those rare occasions when I get to showcase my talent.

Yesterday, I played my guitar and sang in the backyard. It wasn't exactly a performance, but almost. We have neighbors, and the sound doesn't stop at our fence. It may seem silly to think of that as stagetime, but it had that feeling. I had to focus on my playing and singing without being self-conscious... that is, thoughts were creeping in about what the audience might be thinking, and I had to push out those thoughts, and focus on the playing and singing. That's where it felt like a performance. And even if I'm only doing voices in my car, or in the bathroom, it's all preparing me for my next showcase.

And you know what? I can't control when my next showcase will happen. Oh, did I mention that already? It's okay. It's worth repeating.

Slow down. Have fun. Get better. Focus. And above all...

Enjoy the ride.