One of the hallmarks of the music entrepreneur is having a positive mindset that allows you to have a belief in your unique gift, a passion for making a difference through music and the willingness to take charge and learn from challenges in order to create success. In essence, a positive attitude is a form of positive energy that a successful music entrepreneur can use to inspire herself and others in order to create success.
I was therefore quite taken with a recent blog post in Music Career Juice on how musicians should not look to businesses as a model for how to operate but instead to aspire to be expressive energy grids – generating, transforming and distributing energy continually. Since I teach musicians how to create career success, this got me thinking more about the kind of energy that one brings to a situation in order to be successful.
We have all heard about “negative” and “positive” energy. Think of what it is like to be surrounded by a group of people who complain and bemoan the state of the world, which we hear a lot of these days in the world of the arts: orchestras like Philadelphia declaring bankruptcy, fewer spots available in orchestras, the weak economy. I could go on but I don’t want to add to the doom and gloom! That’s what negative energy can do-bring you down. And because energy is transferred, if enough people in the room are spinning out negativity, it tends to drag down others.
Let’s look at another scenario:
Think of how great it is to attend an uplifting lecture or watch a video like Ben Zander’s TED Talk or be around the person who finds the opportunity in the challenge and inspire others to do the same. Those are forces of positive energy and they can help to lift your spirits. And while we are on the subject, let’s look at the opportunities for artists in today’s world. We have the Internet and social media that make it possible to reach millions of people. The You Tube Symphony concert in Sydney, Australia last March, for example, reached 33 million people, including 3 million who viewed the concert from their mobile phones! You can make a recording without having a professional record label. You can publish blogs and books without a publisher.
Are the opportunities for artists disappearing or are we in a world of new possibilities? It depends on your perception and that perception is a belief and not a Truth.
The good news is that you have the power to change your perceptions and get out of the negative way of thinking. It is a matter of choice. And the more you feel that you have choices, the more positive you can feel about yourself and your options.
How can you be the person that brings a positive attitude to a situation? Here are five tips on how to generate positive energy:
1. Examine your own thoughts. Do you view the world through the lens of half-full or half-empty? Become aware of the situations that trigger that negativity.
2. Consider what the impact that these negative perceptions have on you. Chances are that if you view the world as having limited opportunities, you probably think that you are not good enough to break through and be the one who can succeed in difficult times. In other words, the negative perception of scarcity often turns into a negative reflection of yourself.
3. Think about times when you are at your best. Create your Best Self Affirmation. Whenever that negative thought crops up, make a choice to think about the best things about yourself and your world.
4. Look for ways to live your best self whether that is in your creative life, your professional world or your relationships. Make it a goal to be your best self.
5. Tune out the naysayers. You have a choice of whom to spend time with. So if you get dragged down by the Negative Nellies, avoid them. If that’s not possible, offer up another point of view. Remember that these are perceptions and that there is no need to buy into the perspective that drags you down.
Yes, it takes practice to cultivate a new habit and a new attitude. But as a musician, you know how to practice so why not apply all that learning to something that can move you forward in your personal and professional life?
