When the band takes over

I am in Hobart at the moment and this morning was on my way to MONA by way of a yatch. I overheard a musician talks Ng to her friend about the first time a whole band had played songs she had previously only written and played by herself.

She said how exciting it was hearing what each band member brought to the song, the nuance they brought to expressing their take on the feeling of the music and lyrics. It became bigger and better than her solo act, and bigger and better than any of them by themselves. 

This has been my experience with a business idea I have had. For two years I played with it by myself, and then eventually started talking to others about it. I now have a business that will be launching in 6 months, it has 3 other founders, and the texture and richness of the business is way bigger and better than me, and way bigger and better than any of us could have made it by ourselves.  

I liked playing in a band. I have always enjoyed team sports. And now I get to experience that same vibe in a business I am helping to create. I am so grateful. 

On the right track?

There are days when I wonder more than others about whether I am on the right track. I look for sign posts, hints or omens on days like this, because it is impossible to see the destination or to be sure. 

I am enjoying reading Uncertainty by Jonathan Fields at the moment. He talks about leaning into the place where you feel the dis-ease. 

A sign post for me at the moment is the dis-ease I am feeling about starting me own business. Another is the people I am coming across who share a similar ethos for creating and living. 

Therefore I keep walking along this track - from all I can tell it is leading me in the right direction. 

Sharing is caring

I was at a Chinese New Year dinner last night after a tough day of not really knowing how to move forward with my business ideas, or perhaps unwilling to commit to one of those ideas and run with it.

At the dinner was a guy who I had not seen for quite a while. He is such a genuine and friendly person that I found myself being quite open with him about what I was working on, even though we do not know each other that well.

As I began to talk about my business ideas, he became genuinely excited about one of them. His enthusiasm for it reminded me that I am actually working on some interesting things; to embrace those times of doubt and uncertainty as inevitable and necessary parts of the journey.

I took the risk in being vulnerable, sharing my fragile thoughts, and in return I received the care I needed at that moment.