What would you do, if only you had permission?
Who do you need it from?
Can you give it to yourself?
Yes, you may hire someone to clean your house.
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Toddlers are fairly uncomplicated.
When I approached my toddler nephew one morning to greet him, he looked up at me and became distressed. His mom had just left the room, and clearly, he had been expecting her instead. I didn’t take his disappointment personally; when my sister returned, the little boy smiled and pointed at me and said my name (well, his version of it). All was well.
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As a young adult, I didn’t know that the music teachers who advertised in the classifieds section of the free weekly paper were the crummy ones who weren’t generating enough business through referrals.
I attended one lesson with a jazz piano teacher. Instead of teaching me new things, he spent most of the hour lecturing me on why I needed to focus. I couldn’t play guitar and piano…and if I was going to play piano, I needed to specialize. I couldn’t keep playing classical and pop and jazz. If I wanted a career in music, I needed to make a choice and go all the way with it.
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Years ago, I moved to a new city with only the slimmest of job prospects (that was crazy decision number one).
I managed to find a part-time, temporary gig as an assistant teacher of music classes for older adults. We were teaching them how to play keyboard instruments, but the goal was really to sell them fancy home organs so complex that their array of buttons and dials resembled the cockpit of a 747 (the price was similar to that of an aircraft, too).
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Over the years, students have come to me for advice on how they might pursue a career in music.
My answer is brutal, honest, and practical. It’s not based on luck or talent. It’s focused on hard work, focus, bravely putting yourself out there, and building a network and a following.
I bear no judgment toward those who choose a different path. It’s wise to give up on a dream if you realize that you’re not willing to put in the work or make the sacrifice that allows you let go of everything else and focus only on the actions that make your desired outcome possible.
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