Rishave Verma
Don’t play for safety. It’s the most dangerous game.
(Hugh Walpole)
When singer Bobby McFerrin got bored with his performances, he faced a crossroad in his career. After the smash success of his 1988 song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, he set out on a long and grueling tour, but then the joy fell out. McFerrin confessed “I wasn’t being fair to my audience or myself. I wasn’t SCARED anymore”. McFerrin dropped out for two years, spent quality time with his family, and explored novel forms of music. He came back fresh and imaginative, established the groundbreaking ensemble, Synchestra (Symphonic Orchestra), performed duets with cellist Yo Yo Ma, and went into classical conducting. He reached another peak in his career.
There is a formula for knowing if a next step is the right one for us. If we feel both excited and scared, that is it. If we are just excited and not afraid, there is no challenge, no stretching, no initiation, we are still in our safe zone and growth is unavailable. If we are just afraid but not excited, then there is no positive inner motivation. Why and how to walk through a fear unless there is something we are walking towards? When we are simultaneously turned on and frightened for something, then we are at the point of true stimulation.
We owe it to ourselves to stay on our cutting edge. If our career or life is boring, we should step back and ask ourselves, what it would take to make it exciting. Then we should ask what it would take to make it scary. The intersection of the two points is our Point of Power.
Today’s Prayer:
“Help me follow my spirit and walk past fear to realize my dreams.”
