Recently I decided It is time to begin pursuing a passion of mine by taking my first paid guitar lesson. If I would say this has always been a passion of mine, I would be lying. For most of my childhood, I displayed little interest in music. I definitely was not listening to it on our dial-up Internet connection and outside of the three CDs I owned (the Spiderman soundtrack was very eclectic,) I had little exposure outside of passively listening to the radio and overhearing my older siblings rocking out to Lincoln Park or Blink 182. I distinctly remember a conversation with a friend in grade school where I confessed to not having a favorite artist because I didn’t really listen to music. It is hard to begin pursuing a passion when you don’t know it’s there.
Tuning In to Your Passion
My passion for music did not really begin until high school. I started a part-time job milking cows and those weekly milkings turned into 5-hour long sessions of rocking out to country music and singing at the top of my lungs. The transition to high school was fairly difficult for me and I often found it difficult to sleep. I began to play music along side my bed every night so I could fall asleep and many mornings to motivate me to face the day ahead of me. I began regularly watching music videos on Country Music Television (CMT) and fervently following the weekly top 40 songs always rooting for my favorite artists, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, and Jason Aldean. The many concert experiences that followed deepened my love for music, especially live music.
In this whole process, I developed a deep love for the sound of the guitar. I began to recognize how envious I was of people who could play guitar. In many ways, I was jealous that they knew how to play and were on stage while I was helplessly watching them wanting what they had. This I’ve learned is one way to get clarity on your true passions. Envy is not usually viewed as a positive emotion, but recognizing it and its cause can be quite enlightening. For me, it was recognizing what I really wanted was to learn guitar and be on stage. (Read my post “Finding The Authentic Me” here.)
Pursuing Your Passion
I bought my first guitar early on in college, but I never committed to getting actual lessons. I relied on picking up tips from friends and watching random YouTube videos. I’ve wanted lessons for years, but I always made excuses not to pursue them: too expensive, too busy, too hard to learn. Yet, every time I reflect on what my goals are in my life, I want the guitar to be a part of it. I’ve spent more time thinking about learning guitar than actually pursuing the goal. Finally I decided I need to make the leap or I’ll never make any progress. Finally, after years of wanting, I decided to just take the jump. It seems so silly now. What was the hesitation?
I recently had my first guitar lesson and I realized I have a LONG WAY to go, but I’ve got to start somewhere, right? It is never too late to pursue a goal. No matter your age, you can still achieve amazing goals.
It’s Your Turn
What long-time dream do you have? Are you pursuing it? Or, are you putting it off? Is the excuse you’ve been giving valid or is it just another excuse? What are you waiting for?
Pursuing goals is often overwhelming. I feel it everyday. I can visualize where I want to go, but WOW there is so much to do to get there. You probably also feel overwhelmed by the possibilities and the challenges.
Try this. What one thing could you do every day that would move you closer to your goal? Even if it is only for 5 minutes some days, you will be moving closer to your ultimate goal. It will feel like you are accomplishing something because you are.
Most days I feel like I’m building a mountain one rock at a time. Sometimes it even feels like an avalanche is destroying the very mountain I am trying to create. Yet, if the mountain is worth building, start building it today even if it is only one grain of sand at a time! Find your passion and go pursue it!