It’s weird how your memory can trick you.
Your views, attitude at the time, your mood at any given moment… all of these can DRASTICALLY alter your memories.
They can distort FACT.
I remember when I was a teenager, thinking that I was untouchable as a percussion musician. I played in symphonic and marching band. Like a lot of artistic teens, I was a cocky arsehole.
Anyways…
I was pretty good.
But nowhere near as good as I thought I was.
I could’ve been great, had I actually stuck with it through college. (In hindsight, the reality check came in college when the marching band instructors all but flat out told me that I sucked).
My memory was of being good at what I did. Then I watched a video of myself at the time.
Holy Lord, was I an amateur.
Which is fine.
Not many people are collegiate level musicians at 17. I was no exception.
Keeping in mind that I’ve gone through all the reality checks that 10 additional years of life could give me, it was still a weird feeling to watch the old video.
Even with the knowledge that I used to not play all that well, the memory of playing a piece of music was even different in my head.
Memories are pretty weird that way.
What else had I potentially mis-remembered?
So…I didn’t stick with music through college (in the traditional sense anyways). I wasn’t good enough to get into a program. I wasn’t good enough for musical theater (or regular theater).
What I did stick with, was my singer/songwriting.
Here’s the thing.
Even at my cockiest, I didn’t consider myself an extremely talented singer/songwriter.
This humbleness, lead me to keep practicing. Hard. I was inspired by those that were greater than me. I didn’t well up with jealousy, or become intimidated. It helped me stick with it. It helped me not be completely dumbfounded when I ran into a challenge, or received criticism. It made it ok.
Now, ten years later, I’ve far surpassed my guitar playing and singing skills at the time and within my artistic endeavors, its likely one of my greatest strengths.
Think about that. The thing I thought I was the worst at, I now consider to be my biggest strength because I worked at it.
The thing I considered to be my greatest strength, because I was a cocky a-hole, I don’t even participate in anymore.
Side note: Yes, parents. Please stop cradling your freaking kids. Tell them they suck at stuff, and it’s ok to suck. Not everyone can be a prodigy.
Key takeaway and life lesson I gleaned from all this?
Keep working.
Even if you think you’re the best, you might not be. Even if you’re NOT the best, you could get surpassed tomorrow.
Never stop hustling.
