Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Tomorrows and Yesterdays

In costume, from "The Music Man"
Well, it’s over…the 3+ months of rehearsals, followed by 18 performances during the course of the last three weekends, and “The Music Man” has now become another part of my history.  It’s kind of bittersweet, really.  The schedule was extremely intense, and in many ways, I was ready for it to be over to return to my “normal” life.  There were a lot of things I had to put on hold to be a part of this show.  Among those, I have not been to the gym in a while, and I took a session off from school.  Getting home from rehearsals and shows anywhere from 10:30pm-midnight kept me from getting up at 4:45am for the gym, and there’s no way I could have kept up with schoolwork during the production while still working full-time.  On the other hand, I have to say, upending my schedule was well worth it and I was truly sad to see it come to an end!  I gained a whole new theatre family with our cast and crew, loved getting to experience it all with my oldest son, was reminded how much I love performing classic Broadway musicals, and had a few life lessons reinforced along the way. 

For instance, it can be so easy to get stuck in a rut of how we think we’re supposed to be living our lives, can’t it?  I mean, if we’re at least reasonably responsible, we get up every day and tend to our duties, whether that be to family, school, church, work, or other things.  In doing so, time, money, and energy can be stretched thin, and dreams often get set off to the sidelines.  Trying something new, or taking a leap of faith, or embracing an adventure, fall outside of the realm of the possible, because they just don’t fit the mold of what we expect of ourselves, or what the others who influence our lives expect of us.  We get caught in the trap of “tomorrow…”

Pushing dreams, risk, and exploration off until “tomorrow” keeps us chained to the past.  It's the classic case of doing "what I've always done".  Think about it…Examples of saying you’ll “get around to it” at some point in the future find their way into everyday matters, such as:

I’ll start eating right tomorrow…means you’ll keep putting junk into your body and gaining weight today

I’ll forgive that person tomorrow…means you’ll continue to bear the damaging weight of a grudge today

I’ll take the steps to start my own business or apply for that new job tomorrow…means you’ll still feel chained to your desk today

I’ll invest in relationships with others tomorrow…means you’ll stand alone today

I’ll try something new tomorrow…means you’ll miss out on opportunities and excitement today

At one point in the script for “The Music Man”, one of the characters speaks the most profound line of the entire show.  He says,

“You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.  I don’t know about you, but I’d like to make today worth remembering”
 ~ The Music Man ~

I want each of my days to be worth remembering!  I spent far too many days being afraid to try new things, afraid to let go of what was comfortable and familiar, and afraid to grad hold of something new.  Our lives are made up of days.  We only get so many of them, and I want each and every one of mine to be extraordinary!

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(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)

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