Thanks for coming to read Part 5 of my series, 5 Ways to Treat Yourself Better in 2016. You can find posts in my archive to do your Daily Abayanga, Read More-Sleep More, Exercise for Fun, Pamper Yourself, and to Learn New Things. My story about learning to play guitar starts below.
Learning to play guitar has been something I always wanted to do. My dad was a talented musician, and I never learned to play an instrument as a child, despite the fact that there were always many instruments in the house. My dad was a drummer, so the other musicians would come to our house to play. My dad always told us to learn to play a harmonica, because it fit in your back pocket. I admit, it would be pretty hard to pack drums around with you.
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| My brother and I, circa 1984-ish |
About a year ago, I was telling all of this to a friend and he challenged me to stop my bitchin’ about it and try to learn NOW! One thing leads to another, and before the night is out, he has me hooked up with my first lesson. I have to go, in the morning, the very next morning! He committed me to go and I don’t want to be a flake; so, I went.
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| My goofy dad. |
It was hard, and painful, and my poor tender fingertips will never be the same. The first day wasn’t even the hardest. It has gotten easier on the hands, and harder for my mind and my hand/eye/ear coordination. I am addicted to it. In fact, I am going on a bluegrass cruise (as a player) and I am n.e.r.v.o.u.s. Nonetheless, I made a goal to perform with other people or play live within a year, so it's definitely time to stretch out of my comfort level to get better.
And that, my friends, is why I share this with you. Treating ourselves better includes pushing ourselves to reach our goals, extending our goals to be outside of our comfort zone. How to treat yourself better means don’t give up on your dreams. It turns out learning new things will help you at any age. Stay tuned and I will share a place you can see my personal pictures from the cruise.
