I know, I’m back so soon! Life just threw quite the fun curveball my way, and I needed to share.
On around 7:30 on Sunday night a friend from college texted me. He was about to go on tour with a band and the drummer had pulled his shoulder. “Any chance you could learn a song or two and play it on camera within the next like day?”
Perhaps it wasn’t once in a lifetime, but it was big. I had heard of the band, and people I know had heard of them to.
I naturally did what anyone would: freaked the fuck out. Adrenaline coursed through my veins. I had to do it, but how could I pull it off? Did I even want to? It took me through every ounce of existential crises I had faced in the last year in a matter of minutes.
Attempting to calm myself down, I called a few friends who I knew would take care of me, i.e. first calm me down, then tell me to do it.
And so I got to work- pacing around while listening to the tunes, playing through one on the drums, and setting up the mics and camera when it got to be too late. In the end, I pulled the videos off.
This got me thinking a lot about challenges, constraints, and so much more. The way we react when put on the spot can make a huge difference in our lives, and this provided me with some much needed perspective. A few lessons:
- Your habits rule you. When I started freaking out, 2 habits saved me: (1) I called two good friends and asked for advice and (2) I stopped what I was doing and took 10 minutes to breathe. I literally sat with my eyes closed and breathed. That and a bit of anxious pacing (I regularly go on walks) got me to the right place.
- Challenges and constraints bring things out of you that you didn’t know you had. There’s this notion of Parkinson’s Law, that work will fill the time allotted for its completion. Give yourself 2 hours and it will take 2, 8 and it will take 8. I’ve been meaning shoot another drum cover for a month, I never “had the time” to do it. Yesterday, in under 18 hours, I shot two. Brutal constraints provide you an opportunity to show what you’re made of.
- Focus makes incredible things possible. While working, I didn’t think about anything about the task at hand. As a result, I not only got more done but played better than I had in months. Not only was I more efficient, but the actual quality was better. Focus gives superpowers.
- Setting and beating challenges boosts confidence like nothing else. Especially in crunch time. I’m still riding the life high.
In the end, the drummer’s shoulder is looking fine. They probably won’t need me. But they now know who I am, and my friend knows I’m good for this kind of things in the future. Plus, I haven’t grown so much and felt so alive in a while.
Oh, if you want to see the videos…..
Let me know what you think. Of the videos, the scenario, or of this grand thing we call life.
One Comment
That’s awesome! I loved watching you play and listening to the music, such an interesting process! Now you have stretched past your self-imposed limits, I can’t wait to see what’s next for you. I’m happy for you 🙂