Young Composer: “Herr Mozart, I am thinking of writing a symphony. How should I get started?”
Mozart: “A symphony is a very complex musical form and you are still young. Perhaps you should start with something simpler, like a concerto.”
Young Composer: “But Herr Mozart, you were writing symphonies when you were 8 years old.”
Mozart: “Yes, but I never asked anyone how.”
The above story was taken from Quora – on an article I thought was dead-on with regards to success and talent. In between scanning my iMac for malware and waiting for the coffee I brewed to hit my system, I wanted to spit out a few words.
America’s Got Talent is a small reminder of what it means to have talent. In a culture so saturated with over-polished, over-produced, over-hyped sensationalized media, it might seem odd that a simple voice or act of talent could bring an entire audience to its feet in rapturous ovation.
Talent can be as stunning as beauty. To see somebody step on stage and stun a crowd, armed with nothing but their own voice, is about as provoking as seeing a beautiful man or woman in nothing but their skin; removed from the flashy accoutrements of designer items, cosmetics, and accessories that seek to accentuate what is already there – yet, often do little more than hide it.
The more I think about it, the more I realize how short-sighted my focus has been on the things that truly matter or can be found in simplicity. There’s an area nearby where I’ve been walking Buddy. It’s surrounded by nature, yet is framed in a shell of concrete barriers, sidewalks, and guardrails; urban redevelopment that decided to be environmentally conscious and ‘frame’ in a bit of natural beauty between the sea of concrete and glass.
I’ve seen many things in my lifetime that a lot of people will simply never experience outside the pages of a magazine or book. Many of these memories serve as reminders that some of the richest moments in life exist when we see life through its pure and raw form. A sunrise over richly-wooded hills in the mountains of Asia. A smiling room full of students, listening to every word they hear. A smiling mother in a room with all of her children. Moments of gratitude where words fail.
We already possess a great wealth of life within us. We’ve simply overlooked it.
Featured Image From Deviantart
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