So I always get nervous before I play music. I’m not really sure where it came from. I started out playing trumpet in the 4th grade in front of lots and lots of people. Played first chair too! Which means I got solos and stuff.
Maybe it’s because I’m a self taught guitarist and vocalist. I kind of beat around on the guitar and sort of hold a tune – kind of. Depends on who you ask. 🙂
Which is another way of saying that I’m not super confident in what I’m doing… especially when I haven’t been playing as much.
It’s kind of funny what the mind can do to you… if you let it.
Open mic night has exactly zero expectations from a music fan perspective. It’s for struggling artists or people that just want to play. It’s expected that people will be nervous and not at a professional level.
So why the nervousness. It all comes down to fear.
Which brings me to one of my favorite sayings on fear. This was given to me by a dear friend, who i will forever be indebted to for giving it to me.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Thanks V Mac
I’m gonna go shine!
– Just a Dude
Just a Dude 