Do I practice what I preach?

Two weeks ago, I suggested “there is always enough time.” Sometimes, I passionately repeat this mantra & follow it with zest. Sometimes, I break my own boundaries - I work late hours & ignore my stress trigger that says “please rest.” “This is good enough; You are good enough.”

Just like you, I experience moments of pride and humility in my life. It is my honor to share both.

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Today, I want to celebrate a time I lived fully into the belief that there is always enough time.

I was in the midst of my graduate education, working hard alongside my peers toward seemingly impossible deadlines, reading lists, exams, and independent research. It would have been easy for me to prove there was not enough time. In fact, on a few occasions, I rolled my eyes and glared at professors or university expectation: “You are asking the impossible.”

When I heard an internal whisper ask about voice lessons, however, I chose to listen.

I was already a few months into teaching myself how to play guitar, and I recognized the significance of this decision. Guitar became my creative outlet in the midst of intellect overload; Guitar transformed a breakup of grief into one of poetry; Guitar transformed into a meditation wherein I lost track of time & worry & conflict.

As I continued to play, I increasingly desired to learn how to sing. In tandem, I thought: “Let’s play at an open mic.”

My heart planted a seed, & I watched it grow with nerves and anticipation.

No matter where the desire originated or why, I chose to follow it. Do I wish to become a professional singer? No. Do I need to invest in voice lessons to play guitar? No. Do I want to? Yes. Can I? Absolutely.

And so it goes — throughout my final year of graduate school, I attended voice lessons at Music Tree every Friday at 2pm. Every week presented a new deadline, another excuse, a little stress, & continuous pressure to cave into the idea that I should be doing more work.

This is one instance when I followed a longing in my core without question, justification, or true understanding. In the moment, I could not reason why voice lessons deserved an hour of my week - except that I enjoyed the practice. In hindsight, this choice & dedication to experience life - especially when I could relay a list of reasons why I did not have permission - changed my life.

My commitment to voice lessons was not only a commitment to joy, but a commitment to my core values & to my authentic self; How you do anything is how you do everything.

Tell me: when have you lived in alignment with an authentic desire or belief? I want to celebrate together, for the sake that we may choose authenticity more than fear & fully experience our authentic life.