Losing Yourself
What is it about losing yourself and then something better than what you're capable of happening instead?
3 Situations...
1. Playing the piano. When I'm paying attention to the specific keys, and what note to hit next, and did I hit that last note too hard, I'm almost guaranteed to mess up. But when I'm not paying attention to all that junk, and I just play, the song comes out beautiful!
2. The Jr. High class I taught Sunday night. I spent over 4 hours preparing my notes and outline and exact schedule of how long I wanted to spend on each topic. Then once the class starts, I barely stuck to my notes, and the time flew by, and the kids walked away with something, and turned down breaks b/c they wanted to keep talking. I don't know where the things that I was saying were coming from, but they made perfect sense.
3. Conversations with friends. Similar to ex 2. I'll be talking with a friend and things just start coming out of my mouth where I don't even know what the heck I just said, but the person listening is edified, and encouraged and uplifted. (Don't mistake my point here, this isn't about my skill, or my ability.)
What is it that takes over when we step out of the way?
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 15:13
3 Situations...
1. Playing the piano. When I'm paying attention to the specific keys, and what note to hit next, and did I hit that last note too hard, I'm almost guaranteed to mess up. But when I'm not paying attention to all that junk, and I just play, the song comes out beautiful!
2. The Jr. High class I taught Sunday night. I spent over 4 hours preparing my notes and outline and exact schedule of how long I wanted to spend on each topic. Then once the class starts, I barely stuck to my notes, and the time flew by, and the kids walked away with something, and turned down breaks b/c they wanted to keep talking. I don't know where the things that I was saying were coming from, but they made perfect sense.
3. Conversations with friends. Similar to ex 2. I'll be talking with a friend and things just start coming out of my mouth where I don't even know what the heck I just said, but the person listening is edified, and encouraged and uplifted. (Don't mistake my point here, this isn't about my skill, or my ability.)
What is it that takes over when we step out of the way?
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 15:13
Fascinating. I was born in the city and state you now reside in.
I think the reason why we are somehow "better" in situations when thought is put aside is because our real selves emerge. In the case of piano playing, one's muscle memory and subconscious knwoledge of the repertoire is shaper than one's perceived ability. That's how it works for me. I can't think about a performance. I just have to do it.
Posted by
cchang |
9:43 AM
I agree that explains situation 1 at the piano, but I can't explain 2 and 3 with muscle memory.
Posted by
Sean Walker |
10:48 AM
Well, 2 and 3 aren't muscle memory specifically, but its sorta the same principle--the uninhibited self coming through. This isn't to say that preparation is a bad thing in general, but ever notice that sometimes impromptu comedy is much funner than something that is scripted?
Posted by
cchang |
11:24 AM
Yeah I've noticed that. It can be way more funny. I think there's more going on though.
Posted by
Sean Walker |
1:49 PM
Losing yourself is all about rediscovering a "sixth sense" you forgot you had. Blindfold yourself and you become sensitive to touch and sound. Cover your ears and you hear yourself better. Don't talk for a day and you hear and see what you've been missing. Step out of your comfort zone and watch your spirit take flight. Every once in a while, when I stop flailing around like a chicken with its head cut-off, I am amazed to see what Gods Spirit can do through me. Maybe that is why Shakespeare said that when one human showed compassion to another, they , in that moment, showed themselves to be most like God.
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."-Jn. 4:24
let it rise bro............bryan
Posted by
BGR |
11:07 PM