Blog
"The" vs. "My"
There can be a huge difference between trying to be “The” best at something versus working at being “my” best at something. That may sound like a terribly obvious statement but really getting it can make a big difference.
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a banjo player. I love making music and the sound of a banjo has always been one of my favorites. I don’t play as much as I ‘d like to because at the moment I’m having some health issues that make it challenging to do so. In my brain I’ve been thinking that because I can’t be a great banjo player, i.e. “The” best, I’m not going to put a lot into it. Then it hit me the other day that I could at least put more effort into practicing so that I can get to the point where I know that I’m giving it “my” best. A subtle but substantial shift.
How often have you started something new and then give it up because you could tell that you weren’t going to excel at it? Who cares?! You’ll never know how good you would have been or how much fun you would have had if you give up trying. I know I’m never going to be “the” best banjo picker around but I also know that I can choose to make it a priority, even with my current limitations, and be better than I currently am.
Of course there's always the possibility of creating a whole new style of banjo playing! Hey, if Django Reinhardt can do it for the guitar, why can't I do it for the banjo?
What do you want to do more of, even if you’ll never be “the” best at it?