Why is it that when some people are pushed to do things they become masters – star athletes, amazing musicians, and people with unimaginable talents? Why is it that when others are pushed they rebel or end up hating the very thing they’re being pushed to do? 

For example, a person may love to play piano as it ignites the most joyful state of being within them. Yet, when they are “forced” into doing it numerous hours a day, seven day a week, they lose interest or stop enjoying the instrument all together. A family friend loves to play his trumpet. He practices regularly and loves competitions. He sees them as a way to fine tune his skills and compete against others of his caliber. 

There is an abundance of competitions for musicians, athletes, intellects, etc. to prove their technical prowess. However, there are those who would shudder at the thought of being in a competition. The mere mention of it sends them into hiding. Does it mean these people aren’t talented or that they aren’t masters of their craft? Absolutely not! It just means that they don’t like competition and/or the pressures associated with those types of endeavors. 

I know many people who have given up on their passion because they no longer feel good about it. Stemming from the pressures of long practice hours, lime-light performances, stressful competitions, or a once-upon-a-time harsh critique, they quit. They give up the very thing that brought them joy because they misinterpreted it as the reason they felt defeated and exhausted.

Such an individual may be a Beethoven equivalent but because they fall out of the mainstream way of doing things, they start thinking they’re not good at their craft. So is it really that you have an aversion to something you once loved, or is it just that you’ve associated it with uncomfortable feelings that shouldn’t have been linked to it in the first place?

For some, the goal is to enjoy your activity without adding unnecessary pressure to it. For others, the pressure is what keeps the passion alive. We are all gifted in our own ways, and we each have our own unique expression of our gifts. Being in gratitude for your unique expression keeps you aligned with the things you love and helps eliminate any misaligned feelings.

My gratitude is for those that jump out of the construct of societal norms, push the envelope, and allow their true, unimpeded, raw talent to shine.

You go people!