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Featured Monthly Column
Believe!
by Steven Vannoy
As a young piano student, Ludwig van Beethoven preferred to practice and perform his own compositions. Of course, this is not what his teacher asked for or expected. He bluntly informed young Ludwig that he would be better off practicing the masters' compositions as his own (according to the teacher) were second-rate and would not advance his skills and potential.
Are there times in your life when others may have discouraged your dreams? Did you remain true to yourself? Did you continue to believe in yourself? Did you still learn everything you could from their observations, criticism and ideas?
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| Had Beethoven been the type of person to accept the criticism of his talent, he might have quit composing. The world would have been robbed of many masterpieces, including the Ninth Symphony, which contains the choral fourth movement, "Ode to Joy." |
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| Do you know this beautiful piece? It accompanied the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and was sung by choirs on six continents, simultaneously, at the opening ceremonies of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
And - What do you believe about the potential and value of your fellow man?
Did you know that when Beethoven was composing the Ninth Symphony, he was completely deaf. The only notes he could hear were inside his brain. What an amazing example of unshakeable belief!
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Craig Ross, President |
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My belief in myself in not as unshakeable as Beethoven’s, but as it grows stronger, I find that my ability to achieve and serve grows proportionately.
Here are three tips for creating a stronger belief in oneself.
- Accept What Is. Things happen all day long, some good and some not so good - results happen all day long, some good and some not so good. I have found that it is extremely valuable to accept each one of these events and outcomes as okay and valuable at that time. I notice that my day is unfolding well and giving me just the lessons, ideas, or motivation I need to go to the next step. In the moments that I slip back to my old approach of being disappointed in my day, efforts, and results, I feel my energy and confidence slipping back and my results greatly diminished. However, when I consciously position my day as unfolding well, I am more on a roll, and my positive results expand rapidly.
- Build on What Is. I constantly ask myself, "What can I learn from this event/result/opinion?" or "How can I use this event/result/opinion to build my values and rock solid belief in myself?"
I like to journal, so I keep an ongoing journal of my lessons and thoughts.
- Passion to Serve. This last one is truly the most important. Before every encounter with another human being, I ask myself how can I best serve this person right now? This enlarges my capacity to listen and expands my range of responses.
What is life but a series of opportunities to learn, grow and serve.
What have you done today to move your life forward and build your belief in yourself?
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