Don’t Give Up What You Really Want

Don’t give up what you really want for what you want right now.
Whether it’s losing weight or saving money or buying a house or perfecting a tennis stroke, or singing that song perfectly, your dreams matter. Big and small, they belong to you.
When I was a little girl I wanted more than anything to play the piano. We didn’t have one but I would go to the neighbor’s house and tinker around on theirs.
One day my parents brought home a huge upright grand piano. Their close friends were moving to Panama and couldn’t take it with them.
I don’t remember if it was forest green and gold when we got it or if my mother had it painted that color.
I got to take piano lessons with Mrs. Samuels. Her house was across town and smelled like incense and spices that were unfamiliar and strange to me. She always wore a long blue sari with silver embroidery. Her long brown fingers were gentle and magical as she unlocked mystery of the spots and dots that were sprinkled all over those pages. I loved her immediately!
At home I would play those songs over and over and over. I could never get enough of the sound of that big piano. I don’t think there are any pictures of it or of me playing it (No one carried an iPhone around those days) but I can still imagine my small fingers playing until someone would say “enough now.”
It’s funny to consider that I don’t remember ever thinking “I can’t play this or that song” but would keep on going fearlessly until I could play it.
I also don’t remember feeling insecure or unsure about tennis or swimming either.
My childlike enthusiasm hadn’t been muted by my fear of failure.
If what I want right now is to give up, its time to reclaim that inner child-like mind.
Keep playing the song until I master it, keep practicing the shot until it’s natural, keeping practicing good diet and fitness until it is habit and customary.
Being a grownup is sometimes recognizing that you aren’t going to be a concert pianist or professional tennis player or Olympic swimmer but if you will keep working on it and practicing what you really want comes along in ways that you could never have thought of in all your childhood innocence.
The “right now” is too safe and easy but the thing you really want is waiting for you and for me.
I believe in you.

We’ll talk more later,

Gayle