Article written by Helga Marín Jan 2011
Don’t Die With the Music Still In You
A great philosopher once said “Don’t die with the music still in of you”. And I wonder how many of us do? How many of us die without ever expressing our true emotions, our passions or talents? How many of us get caught up in the stream of everyday life when on the other end our true potentials, talents and passions are lost? How many talented artists, international writers, great mathematics, exclusive scientists, and other highly skilled people never truly discover their true potential?
Most of us go through life too busy following the rules and regulations that have been imposed upon us by other people that we forget to listen to that special music within us. As children, we were programmed to separate ourselves from what we loved, enjoyed, and what was truly important to us, instead we were obliged to follow a list of what was right and wrong according to culture, and society.
I struggled in school when I wanted to express my creativity and my own ideas and was constantly suppressed and told to follow instructions and complete outlines for our assignments. Whether it was an art class, an essay or anything else we were assigned to create; we always had to obey the strict outlines without having the chance or opportunity to express our own creativity. Luckily, I had the privilege to conquer those obstacles as I never gave up.
Many of you might have also experienced being told you don’t have that special talent needed to become good at something whether it was a sport, art or anything else that required a special skill. As a child I was told that I couldn’t excel in a sport, and that it wasn’t for me, and that I would never have what it takes to be good at any sport. Interestingly enough I became a sports teacher and have been practicing it for more than 15 years. Did I struggle in school? Yes I did because I had to fight against the belief of not being good at any sport that was engraved in my sub conscious mind since childhood.
People who never discover or express their true gift or passion believe that it is only meant for the more privileged; when in fact it is meant for all of us; yet it is personally up to us to make it our reality. I’m sure we all know people and maybe you are one of them that could do so much more in life with your unexpressed talents, and skills. The creative ideas that are never expressed are lost music, lost to the person, and lost to the world. Creativity that is expressed all around us whether in music, art, style and in various jobs are a fraction of all the potential that lies within the humanity. Expressed creativity is a sign that people are brave enough to stand up against the stream of the obligations and rules given to them at an early age. Every human being has something special to express, to give to the world, and I believe that you can only become truly complete when you portray that something to yourself, and then to the world.
I know people who have died with their music still inside and some are well on their way. I think about my grandfather who had the same job throughout his life working as a government employer. His passion was photographing and travelling; yet he never really had the chance to express that completely as his time was spent taking care of his family and work. Why did he not make his passion his work?
Our society and school systems are greatly responsible for limiting people’s ideas and creativity. The stories about people persuading their dreams breaking free from their environment’s negativity, and lack of faith are many, but could be many more if nothing positive was implemented for change.
If you are one of those who still have the music bottled up inside you, if you are one of many who learnt since childhood that you are not privileged enough, that you should only create a future for yourself based on sensibility rather than unrealistic dreams, and if you are caught up in the daily routine without a feeling of purpose or joy, then you are not living an inspired life which simply means that you are not connected to your creative spirit or to your higher self.
As Wayne Dyer profoundly described it: “Living an inspired life means that when an idea gets a hold of you, you surrender to it, and allow it to take you where you sense it was destined to take you”. When you manage to do that without allowing your ego to interfere; miracles begin to take place, unexplainable synchronicity shows up and dreams and passions surface and materialize.
When you stop worrying whether you are good or average, whether you will fail or succeed or even what people might think about you, then I can say you are well on your way to express your music. In order to achieve this you have to listen to that inner voice, pay attention to the feeling that comes with it, and then have faith that it will take you wherever it is supposed to. Once you do that you will naturally discover the uniqueness that lies within you and realize that you are great person than you ever dreamed yourself to be.
Wayne Dyer said: “You never find light by analyzing the darkness” so don’t go looking for your own magnificence by analyzing the negatives within you.
A beggar had been sitting by the side of a road for more than 30 years. One day a stranger walked by. Spear some change mumbled the beggar, mechanically holding out his old baseball hat. I have nothing to give you, said the stranger and then he asked what is that you are sitting on? Nothing replied the beggar, just an old box I have been sitting on it as long as I can remember. Have you ever looked inside? The stranger asked. No, said the beggar what is the point, it is empty. Have a look inside, insisted the stranger. The beggar managed to open the lit. He was completely astonished and couldn’t believe that the box was filled with gold.
I am that stranger that has nothing to give you, and who is telling you to look inside. Not inside any box, but somewhere closer inside yourself; yet I’m not a beggar, I can hear you say. Those who have not found their true wealth which is the radiant joy of their well being, and the deep unshakable peace that comes with it are beggars even if they have great material wealth, then they are looking outside for pleasure, fulfillment, validation, security and or love while they have the ultimate treasure within them that not only includes all those gifts, but infinitely greater than anything the world can offer. (Eckhart Tolle)
I once asked a client in her seventies if she had any regrets in her life. She replied: “ I regret not taking the chance to follow my dreams that might have taken me on a different path in my life”. You NEVER regret the things you do, you ALWAYS regret the things you didn’t do!!!
Don’t die wondering. If you are not sure that you have what it takes, if you don’t know whether you have the skills or the abilities to materialize your dreams; remember that it is practice that makes the master, and that you have the ability to become that master anytime you want only when you decide for positive change in your life.
Written by
Helga Marin