Playing around on the piano

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I learned to play (around) on the piano when I was young.  I was taught beginner classical pieces.  I have always loved playing the piano, mostly for myself, because my timing is not so good, and honestly, I don't really have an ear for it.  So like I said, I have always played for my own enjoyment.

My mom hired a lady who taught piano in her home, in our neighborhood.  I think she taught professionally in a local school or institute.  I don't remember, but we figured she was good.  

I found out as an adult that she was not actually a good piano teacher at all, so I am choosing to blame her for my poor timing and lack of skill.  Seems reasonable, doesn't it?  I wonder if there is any hope for me now.

The problem is, when you learn something wrong, and stick to it for so many years, it is pretty hard to undo it and re-learn it correctly.  

There are a lot of people out there who have learned things wrong.  I'm thinking of people raised with racist ideas, violent tendencies, narcissistic leanings, radical practices and so forth.  Without ingrained virtues and serious help to temper these major flaws, conquering them can be pretty tough.

It takes a lot of courage, motivation and self-awareness to make a change in one's life.  I would guess that most of us have things we need to change that are (hopefully) not quite as dangerous as the ones I've listed, but still worth our time to address.

Is there anything in your life that you would like to tackle?  Maybe something that you are painfully aware of that you need to change about yourself?  

It takes courage to face our inadequacies.

It takes energy, and belief in ourselves, to get moving.

And, it takes a gentle, heartfelt, personal inventory to know what really needs to change.  When we do this, though, we need to do it in a loving way.

You can do this.  Remember that God loves you, and if you are sensing a desire to improve upon some of your faults or unhealthy habits, it is through your dependence on God that it can happen.  It can be very painful when you are honest with yourself as you come to acknowledge what needs to change.

I have found a real sense of peace and joy in the process of making personal changes.  There is a real sense of God's tangible presence when you realize it isn't you that made it happen!  God, who loves us more than we can ever imagine, wants us to be happy.  He wants us to be free from whatever is oppressing us.

But it does begin with our self-awareness.

Discover just how beautiful your music can be when God is your teacher.  With him, you can move from playing only for yourself, to playing for others as well!

Janet Cassidy
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