What The Musician Can Teach Us About Life
If I were to play a single musical note, it would be just that. A single, insignificant note.
A single note played by itself is.... well, rather unnoteworthy (pun intended).
However when hundreds or even thousands of notes are played in sequential order over time the sounds that we here transform from inconsequential noise into something beautiful.
It becomes music, with beats, rhythms and melodies that have the power to move, inspire, and fundamentally change a person's perception of self and the world around them.
What's for sure is that it is virtually impossible to appreciate any single note in the instantaneous moment it is played. Only after we hear a combination of notes carefully pieced together can we realize the beauty of what is being created.
Like music, any journey that we embark on in life requires a strung-together series of actions (or notes) that may seem insignificant in the moment that each one is carried out, but over time has the potential to reveal a masterpiece.
Essentially, the sum of each action equals more than just a series of actions. It represents metamorphoses in which something new is created. And that new thing has little resemblance to it's individual components.
It's better than the sum of it's individual components.
What does this mean in more practical terms?
When we have goals, dreams, ambitions... no matter how large, each of those aspirations are truly comprised of a subset of smaller actions that must be executed at a tempo and in a specific cadence over a period of time until that larger aspiration manifests into reality.
If you want to go from being obese to being shredded for example, then you must perform the necessary series of activities several times a week to manifest that outcome.
What do these activities look like?
Regularly working out
Eating the right foods
Getting necessary sleep
Controlling for stress
And the list goes on...
However any one workout session, any one meal, any one night of sleep is just that.. it's unnoteworthy just like the single musical note that's played. It's not enough yet to create that masterpiece.
Only after many notes are played.. after many workout sessions are completed, after many healthy meals are consumed, and after many nights of quality rest are experienced can a metamorphosis take place and those single actions transform into a melody that has the power to change lives. In this case the melody is a healthier metabolism, a leaner body, more self confidence, and that energy then gets projected into the world.
The moral here is that far too many of us get caught up in the the expectations for instant gratification only to be disappointed when a masterpiece isn't created from a single action.
The fact is that we must do the work of stringing together the series of hundreds or even thousands of back to back to back actions carried out continuously over a period of months, years, decades.
Only then can we expect a seismic shift in the positive direction.
Only then can we experience a metamorphosis of sorts.
Only then can we enjoy the melody.
However, there are a couple of caveats to be aware of....
Firstly, not just any combination of musical notes can be jumbled together to create art that is beautiful. It requires playing with intention and understanding the science of music... when the musician begins, the musician is not good. The music that is created sounds disjointed, its off tempo. However the more the musician plays, the better they become at first reciting compositions that were created by others, and then once they gain mastery they can begin composing their own.
Secondly, the goal of the musician is not to finish the song. The enjoyment does not come with completing the last note. Rather, the enjoyment comes from the experience of creating and playing. It comes from the flow state that is entered as the song plays out. It comes from an enjoyment of the process itself.
If you don't believe me, just watch any musician who is passionate about their craft. Watch as they transcend into a different dimension as they hyperfocus on the sequence of melodies that they are creating.
What do these two caveats teach us about our own life journeys?
They teach us that we cannot aimlessly string together a series of actions and expect a masterpiece to be the end result. We must create a vision, and a plan, and our actions need to align with this vision and plan in order to bear any fruit.
We must be patient with ourselves, and give ourselves time to grow and improve to understand cadence, to understand the tempo, and to understand the nuances of whatever challenge we are tryin to overcome.
They also teach us that the enjoyment must exist within the journey. It must be felt during the creation process, as it will not be felt after the final note is played. Thus for any journey you embark on, you shall... no, you MUST find a way to transcend into a state of flow, in which the experience of the daily actions themselves bring you joy and passion.
But whatever you do, remember that every day that you are here on this planet represents an opportunity to play another note. Today is an opportunity, and tomorrow is yet another opportunity, and the day after that as well.
With that said, I have a few questions to leave you with:
Are you intentional with each new note you add to the composition of your life, of your journey, of your quest to achieve your goals?
Are you focused on singular noises or the composition of notes to create melody?
And are you giving yourself enough time to let the music play out?