Putting Inspiration Into Action: Sing Like There is No Tomorrow

By Joy Mizzoni
Team Support Specialist
ActionCoach Spokane


If you read my post You have to tell yourself you can do it. Otherwise you won't. 
then you are aware that I was recently inspired by a client to start thinking outside the box. The post below tells how I put that inspiration into action.



I have always wanted to sing. I can sing loud. I can sing with my heart. My passion brings tears to my eyes. But what it brings to people's ears is far less poignant, I'm afraid.

And that's okay.

Yes, I can hear myself and no, you will never find me on an American Idol audition. Yes, 15 minutes of fame for frightful singing may sound enticing to some, but to me, I can think of far better ways to gain it than by publicly sharing my penchant for Judy Garland melodies.

Thus, I am terrified to sing in front of people. I would rather stand naked in a room full of strangers and give a 45-minute dissertation on vacuum cleaners then sing you a song. And trust me, I abhor vacuum cleaners.

Now, common consensus is that we should face our fears. So, I hired a vocal coach.

I honestly showed up to the very first voice lesson in my entire life, last week, thinking that in 45-minutes, I was going to walk out a new woman. A leading-role woman. All these years, when I fantasized about voice lessons, I imagined showing up, getting handed a glass of wine, and getting down to the business of singing.

In my dream land, one glass of wine, and enchantingly sharing a song with my instructor was all it takes for my melodic troubles to melt away like lemon drops.

WRONG.

Wait. Let me say that again.

WRONG.

First, they don't serve any alcohol at voice lessons.

Second, as it turns out, every episode of FAME was complete bull. They only showed the dancing in the streets.

What they didn't show was the extremely difficult and somewhat humiliating vocal exercises that, for some scientific reason, take an enormous amount of coordination.

How can I be uncoordinated just standing there? No wait. Not just standing there, but standing still, with my arms at my side, feet firmly planted on the floor. The only thing moving is my mouth.

I have had plenty of practice day in and day out opening my mouth without any effort and producing a myriad of sounds. And I talk with my hands.

I should be really good at standing still and singing. I mean, what's the difference?

I don't know the answer to that yet. I don't know why my vocal cords are so flabby. I exercise them constantly. Ask anyone I've ever talked to. They'll agree.

All I can say is that this is hard work. And I can't even tell you it's fun yet because, when I think about fun, I don't usually associate it with work, let alone HARD work and, my least favorite, PRACTICE.

I thought about not going back.

But then I also thought about how bad I would feel if I just quit after one lesson. I thought about the one thing on my bucket list: learn how to sing; be in one musical before I die.

So, instead of quitting, I decided to alternate lessons between myself and my two daughters. No more mommy guilt of doing solely for me and I now have two weeks to practice between lessons.

Win-win!

I only have one goal in mind right now....Not quit until I can get up and sing in front of someone other than my windshield wipers and hold nothing back. 


I mean nothing.

To do my absolute best. To close my eyes and just give it all I've got and see what happens.

Right now, I don't know what I'm capable of in life. But I'm going to try a brand new approach.

I'm not going to put limits on my talent, opportunities and dreams until I fully understand my limitations. By limitations, I don't mean fear, self doubt, guilt, and all those other little blood sucking mosquitoes. I mean my physical limitations.

I know that the voice I have is only capable of so much regardless of outside influences. Some things are out of our control.

But that's just it...I've always made excuses why what I've got is broken in numerous areas of my life with out ever testing the voltage.

So this time, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Let's just plugger in and let the sparks fly....

Special thanks to Kathleen Cavender, vocal coach, artist, and entrepeneaur. Please visit her site at http://www.kathleencavender.com/kath.htm