Don’t Die With Your Music Still In You

The title above is a paraphrase of the Emerson quote about how, Most men die with their music still in them.

Ask yourself the following question, “If I were to die today or tomorrow, have I done what I came here to do? Have I, at least in part, ‘played my special music?’” If you answered “yes” to the question, or are at least pursuing it, then I congratulate you. If your answer is “no,” I want to ask, “What are you waiting for?”

We are all special. Each of us has some special contribution to make to the world. Perhaps it’s to write a book. Perhaps your special gift is in being a great teacher or coach. It could be you are the next person to discover a cure for a major disease, or to start a business and be the best you can be at what you do. Are you a builder who’s passionate about your work like my friend, Tom? He sees his job as helping people achieve their lifelong dreams, and his work reflects it.

Whatever the passion within you, let it out. Life is too fragile and uncertain to postpone your dreams, hoping that “someday, I’ll really begin to live my life.”

Begin now! Whatever it is you’re passionate about, you can begin it now. Maybe you want to do something to help your community or church group. What are you waiting for? It saddens me to see someone who is near the end their life, never having taken a step to realize their dream. It saddens me that anyone should leave this earth with their music still in them. You owe it to yourself and to humanity to let it out.

Until one is committed,
there is hesitancy,
the chance to draw back,
always ineffectiveness.

Concerning all acts of initiative
there is one elementary truth,
the ignorance of which kills
countless ideas and endless plans:
That the moment one definitely commits oneself,
then providence moves, too.

All sorts of things occur to help one
that would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one’s favor all manner of
unforeseen incidents and meetings and
material assistance which no man
could have dreamed would come his way.

Whatever you can do or
dream you can, begin it!
Boldness has genius, power,
and magic in it.

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe