2024 - What’s it to you?
Have you looked back and reflected on what you want to hold on to and what you want to let go of? What do you find to be the value of cello playing so far, and is there a way for you to expand on that value even further?
For most of last year I had a mysterious pain in my left index finger which I guessed had to do with my practice. So I kept my practice to a minimum. However, the sporadic pain didn’t fully go away. And suddenly, a year has gone and I feel out of touch with my own cello playing. It feels like a part of me is absent. So, now I have decided that I must revive my practice. There’s always something that I can play anyway, something where my left hand is fairly comfortable all the time, or with a full focus on the bow and open strings. There’s always something I can do. 5 mindful minutes a day, that’s my rule of thumb in order to get back into it.
I must let go of the notion that says I’m ‘out of shape’. It’s not a useful thought to be carrying around.
I will hold on to the incredible encouragement that I have received for the past year from my pupils. Teaching individually and in groups gives me a lot of joy and inspiration. I’m looking forward to continue to develop these aspects of my work this year.
I’m also very inspired to develop my online learning space - the learning space that is developed together with the participants. I want to make the type of material that I wish I could have as a pupil myself.
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I feel I can always come ‘back to basics’ in all areas of my life. Sleep. Food. Movement. Friendships. I’m amazed at how complicated these fundamentals can get.
Zen has been described as ‘When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep.’
Perhaps ‘simplicity’ is my word for the year? An intention to shed the layers of complexity and to see how it’s like down there, in there, in the place that knows what’s needed. Answers are often known as soon as the question comes, but thoughts mingle and hide the answer. This happens to me every day concerning when to get out of bed, what to eat, what to do, what to choose. Whether or not to do some cello playing.
Simplicity.
I don’t need to go to the shop today, I can make a meal with what I already have.
I’ll get up to the alarm I set the evening before, without questioning it in the morning.
Today I have some time between 2 and 3, so I’ll take out my cello then.
I feel like having ‘dinner’ for ‘breakfast’, so I’ll do that.
My to-do list is very long, but when I think about it I realize that I can move 5 of those things over to the following week, and ask my partner to do another 5 of those things. Yet another 5 of those things are actually unnecessary and I can remove them entirely.
I can say no to things even if I feel that someone expects me to say yes.
If I don’t watch any tv-series, I have more time to do my things properly. And my sleep is better.
I’m not ‘missing out’ on anything, ever. I’m simply here.
It takes the time that it takes.
I can change my mind.
I took a personality test from ‘VIA -the institute on character.’ The resulting description of me was ‘Gentleness to oneself.’ I take personality tests with a grain of salt, but ‘gentleness to oneself’ isn’t a bad idea.
With that being said, I see that the time is 2:11 and it’s time for me to take out my cello. All the best to you all.
