Recently, I read an inspiring story about Louis Armstrong, the great jazz artist. Mr. Armstrong reportedly applied to attend music school when he was a young man. It was reported that at his audition he was given scales to sing, but he could sing only the first two notes properly. After his audition, he was told he didn’t have what it takes to be a musician. He was heartbroken.
Though he was heartbroken, he did not allow the rejection to hinder his dream of becoming a Jazz artist. He told some friends, “I know there is music in me and they can’t keep it out.”
If you know your music history, then you know Louis Armstrong became one of the most successful and beloved jazz musicians of all time. He sold more records and made more money than many other jazz musicians who were more talented than he was. Today, Louis Armstrong is forever etched in the history of music.
What made the difference for Mr. Armstrong? The difference was that he knew his dream and he did not allow others negative commentary keep him from going after it. He knew that there was music in him and he was going to get it out. When he determined to put in the time and energy perfecting his gift of music the world opened doors to receive it.
I learned from Louis Armstrong’s story of perseverance, six distractions you must avoid to live out your dreams.
1. Pessimistic words of others. Don’t forfeit your dreams because others say it is impossible. Don’t give into the naysayers because they don’t see what you see. Turn a deaf ear to their words of despair and open your ears to what you know is possible.
2. Fear of rejection. Being rejected can be devastating. It can be very frustrating to put yourself out there and then, be told “no.” We all want to be accepted. I have learned that sometimes getting rejected is a blessing in disguise. It may open the door for something better to happen in your life.
3. Negative inner conversations. Negative inner conversations often arise from low self-esteem, failures from the past or discouraging words from external voices. You combat negative conversations by focusing on who you are and what you are gifted to do. Make a list of affirmations that you know is true about yourself and read them each morning, noon and evening to feed your mind with the right conversations.
4. Fear of Failure. The fear of failure is a crippling feeling that will influence you to make excuses to why you will fail. It will persuade you to cancel pursuing your dreams. How will you know if you will fail if you don’t try? Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is a part of success. When you fail learn from it, get back up and try again.
5. Blaming others. It is your responsibility to live the vision God designed for you. Stop blaming others for where you are. Situations may have happened in your life that was not your fault, but it is your responsibility on how you respond. Blaming others will not empower you to move you forward, but hold you hostage from living your best.
6. Being an imitator. You exhaust valuable time and energy trying to be an imitator. Today’s over communicated, media driven society have duped many into believing that being an imitator is safer than being an original. If you discard your originality and focus on being an imitator, you reject who you were designed to be.
What is your unique vision that the world is waiting for? Are you ready to live it to the fullest? You can experience tremendous success in your life as Louis Armstrong, but you must avoid the distractions and live your dreams.
“Every man and woman is born into the world to do something unique and something distinctive and if he or she does not do it, it will never be done.” Benjamin E. Mays
Question: What distractions do you need to avoid to live your dreams? Leave a comment below.
TCAvey says
I must be aware of my inner dialog and make sure to conform my thinking into what Christ says about me.
Bernard Haynes says
Thanks for the comment TC. As I conform my thinking to what Christ says about me, I have been able to effectively combat the negative inner conversations.
TCAvey says
How do I sign up to follow you?
Bernard Haynes says
I am having problems with the RSS feed for some reason, but you can sign up with the email updates.
TCAvey says
I’ll give that a shot, I’m thinking I couldn’t figure it out yesterday, but maybe it was a different option I was trying.
Dan Black says
What a great story and points. To be honest I still struggle with some of these aspects. Like fear of rejection and failure. I know it’s a daily fight to push these distractions aside and to reach for your dreams. Great post and thoughts Bernard.
Bernard Haynes says
Thanks for the comment, Dan. I struggle with several on the list. The fear of rejection and negative inner conversation are my major distractions. It was an intense battle to start this blog because my negative voice would say, “why are you writing this blog” no one will read it.
Dan Black says
I’m glad you started and are continuing your blog, your reaching and impacting a lot of people.
Bernard Haynes says
You are right there are more than six. These are six distractions that I found to be the more prevalent in the people I have talked to about living their dreams.
Alfreda says
What is the name of the book or article that you read about Louis Armstrong?