We’re down to the last three days before the 50th anniversary event, and I’m reminded of other intensely anticipated experiences in my life: my first trip to Europe when I was seventeen years old; the time I auditioned for the San Francisco Symphony; my graduate recitals; getting married…!
There wasn’t much I could have done differently in preparing for that first transatlantic flight, but the other examples all called for a certain balancing act…
The balance between…
Powering through (giving it everything I’ve got and doing my best right up until the Very. Last. Moment.
vs
Acceptance (taking a step back, acknowledging that maybe it’s not yet perfect, but it is as perfect as I’m capable of right now, and allowing myself to be where I am, and letting that be okay).
The balance between…
Technical mastery (gotta get that note/phrase/lick just right)
vs
Trusting the flow (I’ve done my best work; now it’s time to let the music itself guide me, so the “magic” can happen).
The balance between…
Attachment to outcome (I sooo want this to be really, really good–for my teacher, for my family, for my Guru even!)
vs
Nishkam karma (desireless action or action performed without any expectation of a specific result or reward).
I could go on but you get the idea. It’s not about ignoring the preparation or the technical matters. It is about finding that sweet spot where we transcend the preparation and technique and enter into something bigger than we are. An experience that I’m quite certain awaits us in the week ahead.