Blog – 11-30-16
Time flies when you’re having fun! I have to say, I really can’t believe this year will be my 10th benefit concert for Sunrise Retirement Community. The show is this weekend, December 3, at the beautiful Sioux City Orpheum Theatre.
As I reflect on those 10 years, I’m amazed at how quickly they have gone and how far we have come! Sunrise has raised over $300,000 from the show (which is way cool!), and the community has become more and more aware of the fantastic service they give their clients.
I also think about how far I have come as a performer.
That first year I didn’t have a live band, only me on my guitar with some tracks behind me. Our stage decorations were minimal at best, and the show was the best I was capable of at the time but nothing close to the level it is today.
I guess I’ve learned a thing or two along the way.
I believe it’s important to take a moment every once in a while to look back, reflect, and see how far we’ve come. If you’re anything like me, there’s always so much you are trying to accomplish that oftentimes you don’t feel like you are getting anywhere. You are, my friend! I invite you to take a moment and evaluate and document in your mind how far you really have come.
Sometimes our growth is so gradual that we don’t notice it. Something we started out struggling to accomplish gradually becomes second nature and we don’t have to even think about it any longer. That’s growth! That new process we had to learn at work we were certain we would never master suddenly is no big deal. That’s growth! That relational issue in our marriage that used to rock us and seem insurmountable is now seen for what it really is, a bump in the road. That’s growth!
I admit, acknowledging growth can be really hard for me to do because I’m super hard on myself. Nothing is ever quite good enough, and I always feel like I could have/should have done just a little bit more.
As I look back on my show, however, I can’t help but pat myself on the back a little bit and give myself some credit for the forward progress I have made. I used to believe to do that would be a total act of arrogance, but I’m learning that there’s a huge difference between confidence and arrogance. Most of us can use a little dose of confidence here and there!
I invite you to take a minute with me and celebrate the forward progress you have made on your journey. Maybe the steps you’ve taken haven’t been as big as you hoped or as fast as you dreamed, but forward progress is something to celebrate.
Let’s agree to do a few things:
Acknowledge any and all forward progress and forget about perfection!
Celebrate the baby steps!
Recognize that any step outside of your comfort zone is a victory!
As I anticipate this weekend’s show and all the improvements we’ve made even from last year’s show, I’m going to give myself a minute to celebrate how far I’ve come in 10 years. I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone over and over again, and I have continued to take risks and try new things.
I also want to say how incredibly blessed I am to have the best band members I could possibly hope for. Their exceptional talent, hard work and dedication to this year’s show is phenomenal.
I invite any of you who live in the Sioux City area to come to the show and witness the growth as we celebrate 10 years!
Hope to see you there!
Hugs and love,
~Jill