This is an article I wrote for a Chicken Soup for the Music Lover’s Soul project that got killed back in 2003. It has never seen the light of day. It is just too touching a story to not share with the world…so it is coming out of the closet (so to speak) this holiday season.

Much gratitude to you, my dear blog readers… for being a great community!

“Finding the Magic”

It was the mid-1990s in a Pennsylvania suburb. After close to a
decade of studying classical guitar I was reaching a place where
music was no longer any fun. A combination of long hours
practicing, a demanding teacher, and my own perfectionism left me
feeling exasperated and wondering if there could ever be any magic
in the music again. On more than one occasion I would slam my
guitar into its case in the middle of a practice session out of
frustration and think, “what is the point of this torture?”

One day while at a guitar lesson, my teacher, a gifted performer,
mentioned that a local elder care and nursing home needed someone
to perform at their Christmas holiday party. Since his schedule and
business didn’t permit him to accept these types of engagements, he
offered the gig to me.

I accepted the offer figuring it would be good practice performing
in front of people and offer me a few extra dollars spending money
for the holidays.

The night arrived for the holiday party with the requisite cold and
darkness associated with a Pennsylvania mid-December. As I drove up
to the large entrance of this Christian retirement community, my
usual uneasiness of being in nursing homes became noticeable. This
particular community included a wide range of people from
independent living to full nursing care. I simply told myself to
just relax, go in, play my classical arrangements and acoustic
carols, and call it a night.

After I finished setting up my music and instruments, the residence
director introduced me and announced the concert would begin. As I
started playing, the audience reacted to the music instantly. It
was such a refreshing experience to be able to get out of my head
and just play the classical guitar knowing that every note I
played, whether it was perfect or not, was felt and enjoyed by
those listening.

The second half of the concert shifted from quiet classical
arrangements to acoustic versions of holiday songs and carols with
vocals. I could recall how many times I would practice and feel
that all these songs were not good enough and my voice wasn’t
powerful enough to wow anyone. On this night, however, it took only
a verse or two of”Jingle Bells” to start the audience clapping and
singing. Song after song, the crowd responded with genuine joy and
gratitude. For many, this night may have been the most social and
happy of the whole holiday season.

After the applause and concert ended, I began to pack up my
instruments. A number of the residents stopped to thank me for
coming to play. Those that were able told me how much they enjoyed
the chance to remember holiday cheer from happier days in the past
while generating some joy for the present.

In particular, one frail lady used her walker to come up to me and
said, “When I hear you play, I feel young again. I remember all the
happy years I played my piano with friends and family gathered
around me. As your music filled this room, it made me feel as
though I am living those wonderful times once again. Thank you so
much for taking me to that place.”

As I wiped a tear from my eye, all I could manage to say was “Thank
you very much. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

I left that night uplifted in a way I had always dreamed about but
never experienced. While it may not have been a famous concert hall
or a Broadway stage, the performance I gave that night touched the
hearts of other people just the same.

That night I realized the irony that as musicians we torture
ourselves striving for perfection when the real magic is in the
giving. The giving of ourselves and our music, so that others can
receive.

Welcome to the Carnival of Healing #116. I am thrilled to be the host for this wonderful roundup this week. It’s my first time hosting this carnival and I am just stunned by the number and quality of the entries. A nice variety of posts just in time for a little holiday season reading and relaxing.

The last carnival was hosted by Where We Relax and featured a wide range of topics from food to forgiveness and everywhere in between.

The next carnival #117 will be hosted by Reiki Digest which is a blog specializing in all things reiki across the globe.

Consider contributing to this popular carnival with staying power. To do so, visit the submission form. You can get a feel for the carnival by visiting the archives.

Now, onto the great content!

Dr Martin W. Russell - A Medical Doctor Turned Counselor offers up a new angle on the topic of just needing some willpower in “What You Need is Will Power” .

Pat Doyle at Barton Pond Feng Shui gives us “How We Can Find Healing in Nature”. In it she talks about the difference in energy between man made and natural things and how you can tap into that power in your surroundings.
Read the rest of this entry »

This year Planet Teleclass has a new promo called the 12 Days of Coachmas running. What it is is a take on the 12 days of Christmas. If you sign up for the promo, you’ll receive great stuff from coaches (I am included!!) each day for 12 days.

Unlike other mass giveaways, the good folks at Planet Teleclass literally look at each offering and put it all together by hand. That way YOU can be sure you’re getting quality stuff and not some freebies that aren’t even worth the price you pay (and since the price you pay is $0, you know what I mean!)

Here’s how it works in the words of the good folks at Planet Teleclass:

I will be sending you a special ‘12 Days of Coachmas’ message every day starting December 14th, letting you know where you can pickup your great gifts. On the first day you get a few gifts, on the second day you get a few more gifts, and so on…just like the song. The promo will end on December 25th, Christmas day! What a great way to celebrate the holiday season by getting all these gifts from great coaches.

So, why not check it out & get some great goodies (including great stuff from yours truly). Sign up at their website.

We all struggle with procrastination from time to time. Even the best of us get saddled with incomplete projects and moments of utter and complete stuck-ness. When we’re riddled with incomplete stuff we get more stressed and out of alignment. After all, we “said” we’d do it, and now we’re languishing in the land of incomplete. It pulls us out of integrity and leaves us feeling bad about ourselves and dodging accountability.

The good news is that you have the power to move through procrastination and bring things to completion (sometimes that means abandoning a project that no longer serves you). Here’s how to navigate the waters and move powerfully forward.

1. Have a Plan
You wouldn’t go on a trip without a destination and a map, right? Same goes for projects of any size. If you think about it even making dinner is a mini experiment in project management. Don’t go into planning paralysis but set forth some clear, basic steps for yourself so you have an idea of where you are going and how to get there.

2. Break it Down (chunking)
A journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step. No one would ever accomplish anything if all they thought about was how do I get from point A (where I am now) to point Z (where I want to go) and the massive amount of steps in between. Break things down to their simplest action and start there. Completion comes from stringing together small steps. Read the rest of this entry »

I am going to be the lucky host of the Carnival of Healing on December 15th! About.com’s Holistic Healing coordinates this ongoing carnival. It is a weekly round-up of personal blog posts on the topics of holistic health, wellness, spirituality, and self empowerment.

Well, we all know that this blog is right up that alley in terms of ALL those topics, so I figured it would be the ideal thing to host. This way I provide you with a lens to some new and valuable content that otherwise you (nor I) would know about.

If you’re a blogger who writes about one of these topics I encourage you to submit your work. While I don’t have a theme in mind, we are coming up on the holidays and goodness knows is a trying time to stay focused on our self-care, health, and well-being.

You can submit your posts for inclusion at the Carnival Homepage.

Looking forward to compiling the roundup for you in a week!