Bring Everything to the Table
We know what we are, but know not what we may be. — William Shakespeare
In Woody Allen: A Documentary, author and film critic F.X. Feeney says:
“His sensitivity to music is key to his success as a filmmaker, because very early on, right from the very first films, he’s got a sense of rhythm, a sense of timing. Rhythm and timing are key to success in comedy, but because he’s got this other sort of melodic sensitivity, I think it really makes it possible for him to not only do excellent comedy, but it makes it possible for him to be emotional as well.”
In his youth, it might have been difficult to guess that Woody Allen’s love for the clarinet would eventually contribute to his success as a comedian and filmmaker. If ever he was urged to abandon the instrument because it would never lead to any sort of financial stability, I’m glad he didn't listen. How would Woody Allen have turned out differently without following that seemingly unrelated call? And would the world have lost something for it?
What do the people we truly admire, especially those who've made a real contribution, have in common? One thing is that they are actually willing to be them, come what may. They embrace what matters to them, and express themselves fully through it. The path from curiosity to destiny may not have been clear at first, but they explored nonetheless. They let instinct and desire drive them for a while, until the path unfolded. And eventually, they became the real them.
It’s easy to assume we’re not that special, or have nothing of real value to offer. Don’t fall for it — it’s too unrewarding. Not following your truest call is the easy path because you never have to face your fear. You could let years slip by feeling unfulfilled, and find plenty of distractions from that feeling. There will always seem to be valid excuses to settle, and to go with what’s easy over what matters. Somewhere in their lives, the people we admire abandoned those excuses.
Excuses might keep things safe, but they also keep us from doing what could potentially transform our lives. It’s buying into the idea that we can’t, and paying for it with what we were meant to be. Are you missing out on life as the real you? And is the world losing something for it?
I hope you enjoyed this excerpt from my upcoming book. Please visit http://moregenuine.com/ for more articles like this.
