I come from a family of book lovers and readers.
If you walked into my family’s house on Christmas day you’d likely find total silence and each family member in a different room engrossed in a different book.
The book I was reading was called The Last Days of Night, a historical fiction novel about the electrical current wars of the late 1800’s (and upcoming movie starring Eddie Redmayne).
One of the main characters of the story is Nikola Tesla, the eccentric genius and inventor.
Tesla isn’t as well-known as his two contemporaries, Edison and Westinghouse (unless you like cars and heavy metal!) but his influence is everywhere in our world. Take a look at a partial list of his designs and inventions:
- A/C Electricity
- X-Ray
- Radio
- The Remote Control
- The Laser
Pretty impressive list, right?
My favorite part of the book was a moment where Tesla is staring off into space, talking to himself in unintelligible gibberish.
One of the other characters shakes him and says, “Nikola, you’re hallucinating!”
Tesla turns, looks the guy right in the eye, and says:
“I’m not hallucinating. I’m inventing.”
Mic. Dropped.
(That scene reminded me of the Nietzsche quote: “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”)
As an inventor, Tesla created wonderful technological devices.
As a singer, you create something equally as wonderful – song.
Here’s my question to you:
What kind of “song” are you creating for 2018?
- Will you find the courage to do that project you’ve been talking about for years?
- Will you finally take action towards realizing your deeper purpose as a singer?
- Will you set aside fear and excuses and discover what you’re really capable of as an artist?
I hope so and I’m here to encourage you to “take the lid off” in 2018.
To create a vision that’s so big, when you tell people about it they ask you what you’ve been smoking.
Something that even if you “fail” at, it will be worth doing anyways.
In his book Drive, Daniel Pink writes:
Greatness and nearsightedness are incompatible. Meaningful achievement depends on lifting one’s sights and pushing toward the horizon.”
Doing something artistically meaningful and impactful requires farsightedness and a bold vision.
What is your bold vision for 2018?
Maybe it’s crystal clear to you. Great!
Maybe you have some ideas and inklings. Super!
Maybe you have no clue. That’s OK too! (Join our mailing list and get some new ideas to inspire you.)
My own vision for 2018 is slowly coming to focus.
I don’t know the exact details yet but its key ingredients are: love, music, connection, joy and making a massive contribution to others through my teaching and music.
It also involves embracing struggle, uncertainty and confusion, which I know are essential for growth.
It involves me showing up to the fullness of ALL that life has to offer.
It’s a vision that simultaneously scares me (a good sign!) and lights me up like a Tesla coil.
I don’t know about you, but I am fired up for 2018!
And I’m going to be bringing that fire and passion into everything I do.
Next week, we’ll be re-opening the doors to the TVF Academy for our next term, which starts in mid-January and goes to the end of May.
Before registration officially opens, I invite you to put yourself on the notification list to get early registration access and a special early-bird discount.
Start Making Plans Now to Go Big in 2018.
1/27/18: Good Morning, Peter. I making my way through the huge volume of resources you have created for TVF Academy members (e.g., what a wonderful booklist).