Happy New Year! I hope you’re as excited about 2024 as I am.  Here’s why: My commitment this year is to show up and play full out. Every week. What does that mean? It means I won’t hold back or worry about what you think of me. I’ll give every blog my all. I’m sure sometimes I will write a masterpiece, and I’m sure that many more times I won’t. But I won’t hold back.

You see, I’ve had a lifetime of holding back. Here’s an incriminating story about that.

As a music major in college, I was required to take a voice class. I wasn’t comfortable singing in front of people. I could play the flute, play piano . . . those were okay. But I couldn’t share my voice. I was in a small class with eight students. We sang together some, and then individually so that the instructor, Mrs. D, could give us individual guidance. One day it was once again my turn to stand and sing in front of the group. Mrs. D sat at the piano, played the introduction to my piece, and I started singing. She abruptly stopped playing, put her hands in her lap, and said, “You’re the worst student I’ve ever had.”

I was stunned. My classmates were stunned.

Mrs. D continued. “You’re holding back. You don’t give me anything to work with. I’m sure you have a fine voice, but if you don’t belt it out, then I can’t work with it. You need to let go.”

That’s a lesson I’m still learning. I’m liking the results I’m experiencing, and I’m determined to do more of it. Let go. As I act on that, I can’t wait to see what reaction 2024 brings. Because you know, every action has a reaction.

Again, Happy New Year. May your actions in 2024 bring you all the reactions you desire.  

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P. S. If this post sounds familiar to you, it’s because I shared this same story last year. I just realized that. Evidently, as I said, I’m still learning the lesson so I’ll leave the post. Maybe it’s worth saying twice.