Apr 15

Apr 15 The Song Went Like This

I don’t have have a note in my head, and sadly my piano teacher told my Mum I was tone deaf! so there ended my future musical ambitions. And yet recently I joined a great music group, a community of people that comes together sharing sounds and encouraging one another. Still not quite sure how I got in! Plus it’s great craic. Friday nights get better and better.

It’s interesting how encouragement or otherwise influences the choices we make on a daily basis. Also how encouraging others enables them to try. It’s the easiest thing in the world to do, because everybody is gifted. They might just not realise it yet. I always thought growing up I wasn’t that good at anything in particular. Thankfully it didn’t stop me trying new and different things. Maybe part of me was looking for an area I could excel in.

Quite quickly I realised, not having my own lane enabled me to explore and be open to trying new things, to see what worked for me. To get to know myself by taking action and filling my life with people from an eclectic mix of backgrounds.

Of course I had found what I’m good at. I know where my strengths lie. With the added plus of doing activities I am utterly useless at! But sur, I’ll give it a really good go! Being in unfamiliar environments I am comfortable not excelling and just experiencing. I’m also happy to shine for moments because everyone should.

Being in a room full of strangers and having the opportunity to talk to people I simply have never met, takes confidence and if I’m totally honest deep breaths at times. The ability to smile is quite helpful and its contagious. People feel great when they smile so help them out. The easiest way in a room full of strangers is to forget about yourself and find out about other peoples lives. Be interested. People with ordinary lives can have an extraordinary impact on yours.

I want to enable people who have had to change lanes lots because of a chronic health issue. Perhaps a significant diagnosis with a frightening future or life interrupting anxiety that holds you back from progressing in your life. Sometimes they go hand in hand. With illness often comes a dent to confidence. I do not do talk therapy, although my skillset and training provided a lot of experiential learning. Doing my job requires communication skills that are very different to doing an IT job. Doing my job requires the ability to communicate effectively with people from any background.

It’s my life experience outside of the professional, that gives me an extra level of understanding. I’ve been there, done that and happily glide in and out of lanes, because life is short and I’m never going to stick in the slow lane. I recommend you don’t do that. Nothing will change unless you make changes.

A chronic disease can often feel like a series of rapid lane changes on a somewhat regular basis. It is not something you cannot excel at, although you might try your hardest to be the ‘best’ patient. We can only always do our best and that is enough. Just keep doing that consistently.

And so, the song went like this ’You’re never too tall and you’re never too small, you’re never too fat and your never to thin……. you’re never to anything because that’s where you’re at…’ It was a really amusing delivery that packed a punch, accompanied by a banjo, best happy sound ever. It completely resonated with me, and probably most people in the room. Hello freedom, the healing power of music and community, I love you.