What to do when you Suck at Something….

I was home this past weekend, working on some projects and suddenly, I heard my head saying, “Damn, I really suck at _______” yikes!  So, I stopped and gave it some thought which led me to conclude 3 major reasons why I might not be an expert at something…..  And it’s NOT because I suck at it!

SO, here are the 3 powerful (and positive!!) remedies that I discovered.
  
1. Change Thy Mindset
I tell myself all the time that I suck at playing guitar.  And I even make jokes about it... A lot. Ever since I bought I pretty Seagull a year ago  I feel like I ought to be good or at least playing the darn thing. Then, I realized OMG maybe I don't practice because I keep telling my poor little brain and my poor little fingers that I CAN’T. IT”S MINDSET, Not Skill Set! There is no way I will ever get better if I keep telling myself how awful I play! You see the cycle here?

Our psyche believes what we tell it, positive or negative. It is really powerful to listen to the little thoughts that we tell ourselves. Thoughts become things and then those things slowly become our reality. (One of my favorite books about this is “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” by Joseph Murphy)

2. Think Like a KID! 
So, this Sunday I decided I was gonna try a Hot Yoga Class again!  And I laughed at myself on the way there, because… I do kinda suck at Hot Yoga. (So a lot of you are saying – Wait – YOU'RE a yoga instructor? However, there are 22 basic forms of yoga and different styles within each of them. I teach Kundalini Yoga. Hot Yoga is Hatha Yoga. It’s akin to asking a jazz singer to sing opera in 110 degree heated room)

What’s Funny is that adults often think that we're supposed to excel immediately at things that we've never done before.  And worse, we then get critical of ourselves when we’re not good at it.

Have you ever seen a toddler say, “I’m giving up on this whole walking thing?” No! They begin by pulling themselves up gently and that takes a while! Next, they gently let go and probably fall down a zillion times.  Then, little by little they toddle and stumble, (a lot) and eventually they are running through the living room wreaking havoc. ;) Kids have fun learning and they focus on all the new stuff there is to experience as opposed to what they DON’T do well.We forget that learning is a step by step process. 

There is a joy in letting our judgments go; it allows our mind to become clear to process the new information and acquire the new skill set. Learning is a step by step process. 
Allow yourself to think like a kid, take it bit by it, and have fun falling down like I do in tree pose.  (note: that's what those kids are doing in the picture above!)

3. Take the Time to Learn HOW!

This one was totally true 15 years ago, when I first started playing live music.  Part of the reason was Stage anxiety! I sucked AND I was so scared to go on stage that I would literally get physical symptoms (laryngitis, sore throats, sinus infections, etc.) That was when I started realizing, if I want to play live,  I need to figure this out.  So, I took the time to learn HOW. I read books, I took acting classes, and I studied privately with some of the top coaches in the world.

Little by Little I developed a system for rehearsing, preparing & sculpting my songs, so that I would feel more comfortable performing and Have Fun while doing it! One of my biggest realizations is that performance is something nobody ever really teaches you! Few coaches actually focus on this skill set! People just say, hey you have great songs, a good voice, etc., you should play gigs.Then we throw ourselves to the wolves…. It can be pretty scary so that’s why I started teaching people about it!   

Most things we get to learn in the privacy of our home or classroom.  Performing is also super tricky because it involves learning to do something new in front of other people. However, there are so many skills you can develop to make it easier, as well as tricks to help you feel more confident on stage and capture your audience.
I’ve worked hard to create a system that works, and I LOVE helping people getting better at it, shine on stage, have fun and overcome their anxiety.  

If you wanna check it out….. I am doing a FREE workshop tonight (see details below) AND I’m offering my Performance Success Series this June - 6 weeks of master classes, private lessons, music business tools and more! The best way to build an audience and get your songs out there is by being able to perform them well. If that sounds like something you want to do, drop a line back or call me 615-866-Blis. We can set up a time so that I can answer your questions, AND if you're ready to hop on board register here.

I look forward to seeing you in the Spotlight!!!
 Maybe I’ll see you there tonight ;) bring a guitar and a lyric sheet because I’ll also be doing some one-on-one coaching!!!

Love and Stage Makeup,

Meredith