Imagine this. A concert violinist is performing a difficult piece in front of a large audience. Suddenly there is a loud snap that reverberates throughout the auditorium. The audience immediately knows that a string has broken and fully expects the concert to be suspended until another string, or instrument, is brought to the musician.
But instead, the violinist composes herself, closes her eyes and then signals the conductor to begin again.
The orchestra resumes where they had left off and now the musician plays the music on three strings. In her mind she works out new fingering to compensate for the missing string. A work that few people can play well on four strings, the violinist with the broken string plays on three.
When she finishes, an awesome silence hangs in the room. And then as one, the crowd rises to their feet and cheers wildly. The violinist smiles and wipes perspiration from her brow. When silence returns to the great room, she explains why she continued to play in spite of a broken string. "You know," she says, still breathless, "sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left."
We know what she means, don't we? Maybe we've lived most of our lives and we have only a little time left. Can we still make music?
Maybe disease has robbed us of our capacity to work. Can we still make music?
Perhaps a financial loss has left us impoverished. Can we still make music?
Or maybe a meaningful relationship has ended and we feel alone in the world. Can we still make music?
There will come a time when we all experience loss. Like the violinist, will we find the courage to discover just how much music we can still make with what we have left? How much good we can still do? How much joy we can still share? For I'm convinced that the world, more than ever, needs the music only you can make.
And if it takes extra courage to make the music, many will applaud your effort. For some people have lost more than others, and these brave souls inspire the rest of us to greater heights.
Just how much music can you make with what you have left? Let the Music Begin....
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I can't imagine a better example than late Prof. Randy Pausch who embodied this sentiment.
Manish
3 comments:
Repost from an email I received directly.
"Yes , you are absolutely right we have to move forward and not look back and feel sorry for ourselves. There is always tomorrow and we can turn it around and make more music with what we have left. Everyone should read Randy Pausch's book atleast once.It will change our lives for the better."
I am so happy to read this article...and i most certainly will read more of Randy Pausch. but this thing about trying and making it work - and work well- with what is left..is a practical and most wonderful way of living, i think. We all have been through rough patches/losses which look like totally lost cases at the time, but when we take a deep breath and take a step at a time and keep going positively, we do end up making music. and also, like Randy says, though initially it does seem as if no one will see or realize the effort or that one will be ridiculed, the right people do see and do applaud and take inspiration and they in turn go on... and thus the cycle of positivity hopefully carries on..i hope :-)
Repost from an email I received directly.
"Manish,
Shivers shivers shivers, ah, can we still make music?....a magic beyond all we do here. We all are listeners, alas while the performers' music lasts."
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