Do you sing in your car? In your shower? In your bedroom?
I have to agree that I am not a good singer and have kept myself silent for years. The first time I did karaoke (just a couple of years ago) was a Big Deal. To get up in front of a crowd of thirty and sing into a real mike (not my cozy hairbrush) was a leap of faith.
I have to agree I will never be paid to sing (or even asked to sing free of cost), but singing out loudly on a mic did not kill me, nor anyone within earshot. It did give me a huge advantage. Freedom.
Freedom of expression is a right we laud in America, yet we are pretty good at crushing what we really want to say or do.
- We hold back.
- We get along.
- We follow the status quo.
Getting up in the limelight was a risk for me. Yet, no one was loaded with tomatoes. No one was staring at me with an “I will find you, and I will kill you” expression, and there was no eject button or trap door. The only thing at jeopardy was my pride.
Not only did my ego survive intact, I realized that moving out of my comfort zone and displaying myself in a new way was empowering and fun. It led to improved self-confidence in all areas of my life- including creativity.
After my duet with my sister, my brother-in-law got the heart to get up and sing with me as her substitute. Karaoke is just about expressing and having fun. Shouldn’t that also be said of life?
In what ways are you not communicating and expressing yourself? Have you been messing around with painting a new picture of your dreams, writing a book, or composing a piece of music, but not really making progress? What is holding you back?
Your job this weekend has nothing to do with your creativity. You are going to sing. Out loud. Whether you care for your own singing voice or not doesn’t matter, you are going to self-express through this medium.
Sit in your car, close your eyes (please don’t close your eyes if you are driving) and, sing along with the radio, or plug the auxiliary wire, even if you have another person sitting in the same vehicle. Pushing your cart down the grocery store path, hum your favorite song, and let a line or two slip from your lips. When you cut those green veggies on your kitchen counter, sing a few lines. In the shower, really belt it out.
This small exercise will boost your confidence to express yourself in other ways. You will realize that this planet does not open up and swallow you when you sing or say what you want to communicate. Singing can actually lead to opening the doors for inspiring creative journeys across the cosmos. I kid you not. One small step of boosting self-esteem leads to the next. You will be surprised at what may come.
