When Opportunity Knocks, Take Your “Millionaire Mindset” for a Walk on the Wild Side
I was in my mid-40’s.
The local newspaper in Snoqualmie, WA where I lived had an article about a local guitarist starting up a guitar studio and was starting to take students for guitar lessons.
I’d always considered playing guitar as something that would be cool to do.
I’d played clarinet in middle school and high school. But it wasn’t exactly the instrument people were beating down the doors to listen too. And I’d considered both guitar and piano (my mom and sister both played piano) since those were instruments people enjoyed listening to and were the easiest to play at a moments notice (who wants to shuffle off to the symphony to hear someone play?)
After reading the article something caught my eye…I had to take a second look.
Unexpectedly I’d stumbled across something that clinched it for me.
Davey French, lead guitarist for Everclear, was teaching these guitar lessons. Not just any old music teacher teaching scales and classical music. No, this was a real live guitar hero. Touring with a known rock band. And sharing his love of rock music and guitars with anyone interested and willing to put in the work.
Go for it!
Yeah, you could probably say I was having a mid-life crisis. But screw it! You only live once, right? And besides that, it was five minutes from my house.
So I took the plunge at 45 years old. This wasn’t some hair-brained, idea I had that would end up turning into a guitar-turned-coat-rack like the treadmill. No, I was committed. This was going to be a lifelong pursuit (I know this is against the “instant gratification” nature of the Social Media Worlds we now inhabit – but very important to recognize if you want to accomplish anything of significant value).
That mindset is what helped me stay the course when I hit the eventual plateaus. Whether working out or music, the principles are the same no pain (work), no gain (cool, awesome, rewards).
Live A Rich, Full Life
And learning from Davey in particular was incredible. Hearing his stories about playing for the troops in Iraq, performing on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno (video below), and playing with greats like The Rolling Stones and other iconic rock acts, made going to lessons more than just learning to play guitar. It was a rich tapestry of experiences that I lived and shared with Davey, a connection that I could never have experienced with an ordinary guitar teacher.
After a few years with Davey I moved from the Seattle scene to the San Francisco Bay Area. Okay, I wasn’t really part of the scene but a guy can dream can’t he?
So by this time my chops were improving. I didn’t suck too badly. People were willing to listen to me play and not leave the room after two minutes.
No, I wasn’t rocking the crazy speed-picking, lead guitar riffs on my electric, but I could rock the rhythm guitar parts on dozens of classic rock songs.
Plateau Time.
Be Open To Side Excursions
So what’s next? Time to check out the acoustic guitar genre.
I wanted to play more. And pulling a band together with long hours from my day job made that tough. I also didn’t have the dedication to be a great lead guitar player. It didn’t work well without a band to back you up, especially if you were just average, and I wanted to be able to enjoy playing guitar more often. Acoustic guitar was that opportunity.
So I used every opportunity to play. I learned Taylor Swift songs and played those for my daughter and neice. I played country songs, classic rock songs by Neil Young, pop songs and anything I enjoyed listening to and playing and fit my style (yes, I finally had my own style).
It was great playing for friends and family when it didn’t require much setup – just pull out the guitar and start playing.
But there was more to come. Playing was nice, but how about singing along with it. That way I wouldn’t need to have the song playing on my phone or iPod (and learning to sing and play together ups the coolness factor and improves your playing). So I played and practiced. And I performed at my company potluck. And at my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary. And played for my daughter when she couldn’t go to sleep at night. That was really fun.
But now I wanted even more (it does get kind of addictive…in a good way).
I had a friend offer to do an open mic with me. But it didn’t work out schedule-wise. So later I heard of an open mic coming up. I thought to myself, “I should just check it out. I’ll bring my guitar. And if I get the courage up, I’ll do it. If it doesn’t look right then I’ll bow out and just have a nice night drinking and listening to music.”
So the day comes. I pack up my stuff, hop in the car, and head over to “R Place”. I go in and check out the scene. Talk to the guy running the open mic and ask how it all works. He offers to get me set up. So I put my name on the list.
And then the longest hour commences. I’m listening to the music and nursing my beer. But all the time I’m running this upcoming performance through my head. Starting to sweat a little as it is becoming more and more real.
And then it is time. My name is called. And I get up and walk out on stage…
What was it like?
It is everything you imagine it can be and so much more. It was awesome! Very cool experience with a very supportive group of musicians and bar patrons. Hell Yes! I was nervous. But I sucked it up and performed. I didn’t self-destruct.
Looking back I’m so glad I took that risk to call up Davey French and sign up for that first guitar lesson.
It started a chain reaction of unbelievable experiences that have created so many great friendships and helped me push my limits to consistently achieve more and more. Not just in music but in all areas of my life.
And it would never had occurred had I not picked up that guitar.
…but there’s more.
To top it off, a brief snippet of my story made it into the
“Bob Dylan December 2016 Issue of Acoustic Guitar Magazine”
– yes, I’m now in the same rarified air as Nobel Prize for Literature Winner, Bob Dylan 🙂
Click the picture below to read the article – about people picking up guitar later in life.
Mike McRitchie, a career strategist from Elk Grove, California, says learning to play guitar in his mid-40s marked the beginning of a series of special events, such as performing an original song at this parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. “If you have the passion for learning, an interest in guitar, and a commitment to keep going, the sky’s the limit,” McRitchie says. “You never know where you’ll end up, but the ride is awesome.”
What does this have to do with The Millionaire Mindset?
In the The Millionaire Mindset Part 1 you saw that Achievement is built on “Passion+ Persistence”.
Those two qualities provide the fuel that drives you toward success. But if you aren’t open to the opportunities and willing to jump right in, you’ll never accomplish or experience a fraction of what you would have had you had an…
Opportunity Mindset
Opportunity (and the rewards that go with it) presents itself to those who are prepared and willing to jump in with both feet. You can’t always analyze it. Sometimes you have to trust and say, “Yes!”
Which brings us again to the next step.
To be continued…
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