🎵 As a musician, this is a daily mantra for myself, and a message I try to share with my piano students. But when you truly think about it, this application should be taken beyond music to any life encounter. So often myself, and students, struggle to keep motivated when a piece is challenging. Because, being honest, things are rarely fun when they are difficult. However this is where the true test of character development lies...it becomes more than just a piano piece. The question becomes what are we truly practicing: the piece or our world view? How we face challenges and difficulties in childhood and in our hobbies shapes the very person we become; whether life throws us a difficulty in finances, in work, in relationships, or in crisis, we need to be prepared. When it becomes a challenge, will we be the person who walks away? Or will we rise to the occasion and make something incredible out of it? Just like a blacksmith tempers a sword with fire to build the blade's strength, our daily small stresses are there to mold our character and minds into our own weapon against adversity. Two days ago, I coached a piano student through a difficult passage in her music. We were working over the phone, due to social distancing, but I could hear her scribbling notes down with her pencil and the earnest concentration filled her voice. We worked together for almost an hour. Last night, her mom sent me a video of her proudly playing the piece in full. There are few greater joys than overcoming a challenge. Just ask St. George about his Dragon, Frodo about the Ring of Power, Lucy Pevensie about the White Witch. We love these stories for a reason: because in the end, we all want to be strong enough to be hero who beats our bad guys. So, today if something is getting you down, ask yourself: "What will I do today that will shape who I become tomorrow?" #instawrite #writersofinstagram #writer #write #author #journal #prose #foodforthought #inspiration #dailyinspiration #inspo #practice #practicetechniques #achieve #believe #selfawareness #selflove #confidence #music #musician #musicteacher #piano #pianist #pianoteacher #teach #success #dreambig #workhard #follow https://www.instagram.com/p/B-FRyjVlorb/?igshid=iifyi6kn99aa
