6d (edited) โข ๐ฟ Daily Reflection.
๐ต Reflection 008 โ My Mind Is Preoccupied with Past Thoughts
One of the most fascinating things music has taught me is that we rarely respond to what is actually happening.
We respond to what happened before.
You play a wrong note and instantly remember every mistake youโve ever made.
You walk into a lesson and remember the teacher who criticised you years ago.
You perform for an audience and your mind drifts back to the last performance where something went wrong.
Yet none of those moments are happening now.
Theyโre memories.
The present performance is being filtered through the past.
This is why two musicians can experience exactly the same lesson in completely different ways. One hears encouragement. The other hears criticism. The notes are identical. The teacherโs words are identical. The only difference is the collection of memories each student brings into the room.
Music constantly reminds us that every note only exists now.
The note you played a second ago has vanished.
The mistake from last week has vanished.
The compliment from ten years ago has vanished too.
The only note you can ever truly play is the one beneath your fingers in this moment.
When our mind is full of old rehearsals, old fears, old embarrassments and old successes, weโre no longer listening to the music in front of us.
Weโre listening to an echo.
One of the greatest breakthroughs in music comes when you stop trying to protect yourself from yesterday and begin listening to today.
The present is where rhythm lives.
The present is where creativity appears.
The present is where learning happens.
The past can teach us valuable lessons, but it cannot play todayโs music for us.
Practice
Before you begin practising today, close your eyes for a minute.
Notice whatever thoughts appear.
You might find yourself thinking:
- โI hope I donโt make the same mistake.โ
- โLast lesson didnโt go very well.โ
- โMy teacher will probably notice my weak spots.โ
- โIโm still annoyed about yesterdayโs practice.โ
- โI used to be better than this.โ
Simply notice each thought without trying to change it.
Then quietly remind yourself:
I seem to be thinking about yesterdayโs musicโฆ but my mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.
Take one slow breath.
Open your eyes.
Now begin playing as though this is the very first note youโve ever heard.
Because in realityโฆ
It is.
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๐ต Reflection 008 โ My Mind Is Preoccupied with Past Thoughts
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