What My Piano Teacher Taught Me

My high school piano teacher reminded me of Maude, the television character portrayed so well by actress Bea Arthur. Mrs. Price looked like her, talked like her and commanded the same amount of space in a room.

I was at the other end of the spectrum; a tall, skinny, reserved girl who never used bad language and always made decent grades in school.

When these two forces combined in piano lessons the results were memorable. One day I was playing an aggressive piece (Chopin, I believe) a little timidly for Mrs. Price. Her exact words to me were, “I want you to go home and beat the he** out of that piano this week!” Guess what? Once I got over the shock I did exactly that. It felt great, it was a life lesson I’ve never forgotten. Though I was shocked at the way she spoke to me, it was one of the first times I experienced someone telling me that I was good enough to be bold about it! I don’t go around beating the heck out of things, but I do try to live life proactively and not timidly.

This past Friday I received two similar e-mail messages at exactly the same time, telling me of jobs lost that day. One was from a client, the other from a friend. Both had gotten laid off that afternoon. Both had seen the writing on the wall but hoped the outcome would be different or at least delayed. Both were already taking steps toward new careers. I know it was still a blow, but each of them is being proactive and not waiting, letting self doubt take over and wishing things were better.

How many conversations have you had in recent weeks about government bailouts, stock market drops, unemployment, and “What are we going to do???” Are you experiencing timidity as you approach certain decisions or anticipate the unknown? What would it be like to instead face the fears, take reasonable steps to weather whatever storms are brewing, and come from a place of confidence?

I’ve been working on a couple of projects I’m going to tell you more about in coming days. For now though, I have written a report entitled “Twelve Ways to Stay Confident and Be Great During Challenging Times.” It is being offered to all new Momentum subscribers, and I certainly want current subscribers to have access to the same information. To download your free copy, go to www.coachgwen.com/_private/StayConfident0711.pdf . And feel free to forward it to friends and colleagues. I want to offer you encouragement to trust yourself and keep being your best regardless of the circumstances in which you may find yourself.