Dear Brave Independent Music Teacher…
Dear Brave Ones,
I see you building your studio.
I see you creating your courses.
I see you doing the things.
And sometimes I see you dealing with the naysayers. The “why are you doing that”s and the “you’re crazy for thinking this will work”ers.
You are not alone.
I want you to know that there will always be those who are willing to toss their comments into the ring, but remember this:
If they are not in the arena with you, if they are not being brave and doing the things too…
Their. Opinions. Should. Not. Count.
Don’t let the opinions of those in the stands get in the way of you being a bad ass builder, creator, and doer!
I’M SERIOUS.
You DON’T have to be perfect.
You DON’T have to reach the stars.
But YOU DO need to believe in the power of being brave and showing up in the arena.
Brené Brown opens her book, Daring Greatly (and it’s also in Dare to Lead) with this quote:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
~ Theodore Roosevelt, the Man in the Arena. Delivered at the Sorbonne (Paris) on April 23rd, 1910.
These words always stops me dead in my tracks whenever I feel like turning around and saying “this is too hard” or “I’m too tired.”
It calls on us to dare greatly.
To know that there will be those who point out our shortcomings… but that if they aren’t **in the arena too** — their critiques do not matter.
Thank you, Teddy… and thank YOU, Brené for teaching us that being BRAVE and being VULNERABLE are one and the same.
Keep building.
Keep creating.
Keep doing.
Keep being brave. 💚
P.S. If you need help being BRAVE — this is what I do. I help music studio owners and online music biz creators discover their passions and embrace authenticity in their business.
I understand exactly what you are trying to do because I have actually been there. I’ll help you develop clear branding that communicates the whats/whos/whys and hows, and we’ll find the business practices, marketing, and technology that will help your biz stand out in the crowd.
It’s time to get all those puzzle pieces in place so that you can STOP working so darn hard and actually concentrate on making a difference in the world!
