September 11, 2012
I think I got myself stuck in the whirlwind of September. It really feels like a New Year, more than January 1st, doesn’t it? Time to get things organized, time to plan and set goals, and time to buckle down and get to work.
But that doesn’t sound like much fun,does it? It sounds like being strapped to a desk with those creepy eyelid-opener gadgets fixing your permastare gaze at a buzzing screen.
Language is so powerful! The words we roll around in our heads create our reality, and whether the voice in there is talking about working or singing or just life, the words we use have an impact. ‘Working’ on something implies (to me, at least) that there is one correct outcome, and I must persist until I find it. Playing, on the other hand, implies a multitude of available possibilities, which I may try at my leisure and according to my pleasure!
Care to guess which I prefer? :)
But you know, I got stuck in the crazymaking storm of ‘It’s Fall! Let’s All Get Back To Work!’ and forgot to play. In less than a week, I got myself stressed, worried, and with a throat full of guck. It didn’t do much for my singing, either!
Here are a few bits of language that can either signal the brain to work or play, and these are especially about singing:
I’m going to hit that note.
OR
I’m going to caress that note.
I want to learn to control my voice.
OR
I’m going to play with surrendering my voice.
I’m going to work hard on this for an hour.
OR
I’m setting aside an hour for exploration and experimentation.
What’s something you’re ‘working on’ that you might ‘play with’ instead? How do you think that might change your experience? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it – you can use the buttons above to share on Facebook or Twitter!