The Games We Play
When we think of our career choices as games it helps remind us of a few things…
-it’s easier to think of games as our own choices, not things that happen to us
-it’s just a game, it’s not personal (at least not as much as some of us wish it was)…games are an invitation to hold it lighter
-it’s clearer to see who is playing the same game and who isn’t
The games we choose to play are more important than we often realize, and less personal than they often feel.
Vacuum Of Excitement
This happens when things don’t turn out the way you’d hoped.
You didn’t get the gig
The song didn’t connect
The producer is too expensive
The musician is unavailable
The company passes on you
The people didn’t show up
The vacuum of excitement and the sadness in the creative adventure is also a gift. It shows you that you’ve found something that unlocks a deeper part of you…the part that is willing to get sad.
Of course it hurts. But there’s a lot of people walking around not doing anything they care enough about to be sad and frustrated when it doesn’t go to plan.
Jackets, Songs, and M&M's
A great jacket doesn’t keep you warm, it improves your mood.
A great song doesn’t boost the vibe, it reorganizes your priorities.
And of course the bowl of green M&M’s in the green room don’t taste better, it tells you everything else is taken care of.
There’s what’s going on, and then there’s what’s really going on.
Playing The Short Game
Should you do the big high note in the song if you might not be able to hit it in a few years?
Should you invest in the friendship when you know the other person is moving out of town?
Should you clean up the house today when it’s going to get destroyed again tomorrow?
Sometimes playing the short game is the best way to put our best foot forward. Which is probably what we want in the long run.
Studio Lunch
You get to the studio in the morning to work on a song.
You get stuck.
You go to lunch.
You come back and all at once you get it figured out.
There was definitely something going on during lunch.
There are things getting worked on even when you’re not working on them. Choose them carefully.