Internal Limits: The Mental Physics of Singing
What sets your limits as an artist?
It's a universal fact that for every action, there will be limitations. Physics dictates that the absorption of energy and pressure from opposite forces at work are what keeps a ball from simply flying through the air forever.
Gravity. Weight. Friction.
Forces that stop action, that slow us down or drag at us until we lose energy.
What are your mental 'limits'?
It can be anything--a technical issue you've never been secure in, or a casual comment that a teacher or colleague dropped that you've never quite forgotten.
Little niggling doubts in the back of your mind can snowball into giant insecurities.
Stop them from rolling down your hill of internal doubt right away.
You cannot create freely when gravity is dragging you down.
You have to push yourself to believe in yourself.
In physics, the stronger force will always overpower the weaker, causing a shift in energy.
A ball that's thrown through the air will eventually fall victim to the all-powerful pull of gravity.
Before you start to perform or practice, take some time to balance out your own internal forces.
Make your will to succeed and your belief in your own abilities is the stronger force at play.
Become unshakable in this belief.
Yes, you ARE an artist. A GOOD artist. And right now, you've got something to share...
Repeat this to yourself over and over again-- yes, you CAN. You absolutely can, and what's more, you WILL.
You've got this.
This should be your primary focus.
Not the limit of your skills.
Not the limit of your knowledge or experience.
Not the limit of your physical capacity.
If you're encountering a career roadblock, it's almost always due to the limits of our internal narrative.
Or--putting it plainly --our guts.
Our ability to shut up and show up and get the work done.
Our willingness to be kind to ourselves, to believe in what we can do, to care enough to leap and get the work done.
We can’t do anything about the limitations of physics, or the opinions of those around us. We can't control which opportunities land in front of us, and we can never do enough to change the limitations of our culture.
But we can begin today on getting rid of our own internal roadblocks, the limits we place on ourselves.