I just finished a performance tonight at an awards concert. I accompanied my French horn student, who was the winner of a scholarship competition. I was a little nervous, as it’s been a long time since I’ve played on stage. I’ve been a musician for decades, soloing in high schoolContinue Reading
When I was growing up, I loved to listen to Barry Manilow. Call me square. I probably was. One of my favorites was one of Barry’s greatest hits, “Copacabana.” It was the beat that first attracted me, but as I grew older, the story came to life in my imagination,Continue Reading
Steven Pressfield wrote in his book The War of Art that resistance with a capital “R” raises its ugly head anytime we try to pursue something that calls to us from our higher nature. Such activities, he says, may include any calling in any creative art, any diet or healthContinue Reading
There’s a lot of talk in today’s culture about how if you follow your inner voice—or think positive thoughts—the money will follow. This has led a lot of people to believe that all you need to succeed is a positive attitude and faith in yourself, but that can be aContinue Reading
Sometimes, especially when we’re trying to make a decision, we’re not sure which of the voices inside us is the true inner voice. Often it can seem like our heads are bombarded by many voices. There’s the rational one, the one that sounds like mom or dad, the complainer, theContinue Reading
Actor Kiefer Sutherland has a new, innovative series showing on Hulu called “The Confession.” Airing in five-minute episodes, it tells the story of an assassin who corners a priest in the confession booth for an in-depth conversation about the nature of good and evil. The assassin wants to understand faith,Continue Reading
I’m reading a new book this month: Living Your Unlived Life by Robert A. Johnson and Jerry M. Ruhl, Ph.D. It’s been out a couple years, but it’s brand new to me. The authors talk about how we spend the first half of our lives pursuing a certain path andContinue Reading
For the last week my eye has been driving me crazy. I’ve got one of those muscle twitches, the kind that makes the eyelid quiver and spazz out like a dying fly. I figured it would go away after a day. Or two. Certainly after three. But I’m going onContinue Reading
I saw a beautiful picture online recently accompanied by a very intriguing few paragraphs about “the voice inside.” (Check it out here.) The speaker, a fine photographer who goes by “ilina s,” wrote about how difficult it is sometimes to hear the inner voice. “I don’t know for sure, butContinue Reading
Sometimes the inner voice makes itself heard very clearly. People that instinctively know from an early age what they are destined to do—like Mozart, for instance—have no trouble hearing what it has to say and following its direction. Most of us, though, spend so much time tending to the everydayContinue Reading
Growing up on a ranch, I gained a lot of respect and admiration for animals. Talk about listening to your own voice. Most animals are instinctual creatures. They can’t help but do exactly what their inner voice tells them to do. They don’t question, or second guess, or worry aboutContinue Reading
The inner voice has one arch enemy: money. At least for many, it seems to be so. We’d love to follow where the inner voice is prodding us to go, but there’s no way right now. No way we can get the time or money to do it. The problemContinue Reading