My inspiring friend Katrina wrote about this video — a TEDx talk given by a ridiculously cute, genuine, and talented singer/songwriter named Daria Musk about finding connection via Google+. Yeah, really; that social network you’re probably ignoring is still around, and Daria Musk’s story demonstrates how someone can take a simple idea and execute it brilliantly and with genuine, can’t-help-but-smile-when-you-hear-her heart and soul.
But that’s not why I’m posting this (short, 13-minute) talk (just watch it, okay?). I’m posting it because she saw an opportunity, went for it, and made it work for her. Her brother told her that playing shows in G+ hangouts was a bad idea. “I ignored him,” she said. The rest, as they say, is viral video history.
This video arrived moments after getting an “It’s not a good fit” email about my work. Which came on top of about ten other “no” responses in various forms that day.
I had a talk with a friend yesterday about the various ways in which we tell ourselves “No” for all the wrong reasons (“I can’t put my dreams first; what will people think?/who do I think I am?/I don’t have enough experience/education/money/time). “Yes” can work the same way (“Just one more cookie/argument on Facebook/lottery ticket/glass of wine/reality TV show/trinket for my home). But what if we used no and yes for all the right reasons? I realized that hearing “not a good fit” actually works for me; it frees up time to pursue partners who are a great fit. Saying no to negative thinking or slipping back into an old victim mentality is powerful stuff. Same thing with saying yes to becoming the person you know with your whole heart that you were meant to be. Think about that: To what are you saying no or yes for the wrong reasons? How about the right reasons?
Yesterday, hearing “No” again (and again, and again) bummed me out, but it didn’t deter me. A year or more ago, I’d have packed it in and jumped to the Next Big Thing. I’d avoid growth and learning and course correction in favor of tuning out and going numb so I wouldn’t have to deal with the real fear and discomfort involved in chasing what I really wanted. Yesterday, when I heard ‘No’ again, I joked that it felt like the Universe was pinning me down and I could really use a breather, because this mat smelled like feet. Moments later, the email came through with a link to Daria’s talk.
Watching this gave me that “I can barely stay in my seat! This is the best thing ever!” kind of energy boost I needed right in that moment. It made me think about how to distill my message and keep sharing what I know to be true here, brilliantly and with heart and soul. It made me realize that I’m laughing in the face of the lion (watch the video to see what I mean), because I absolutely believe in the work I’m doing as a storyteller and as the mind behind an event that I believe will change people’s lives for the better (I’ve ‘picked a dream bigger than a lifetime’).
“Suffering through your dream is no way to manifest it.” —Daria Musk. No truer words were spoken.
Hell yes.
