Always Remember Who You Are

vacationWhen I was a child I knew a man named Mr. Reagan. He was a World War II veteran. A grandfatherly type, happy to pass on his wisdom. He shopped at my family’s health food store since I can remember. He would come in just about every week. Before he would leave he would tell me, “be a good boy, and always remember who you are.”

Be a good boy is self explanatory. Heck my parents tell me that. But he would emphasize always remember who you are. That really stuck with me. I can’t believe after all these years that I still remember his words.

Mr. Reagan has since passed, but those words are as true today as they were when I was a child.

Always remember who you are.

We have to overcome obstacles in our life. Distractions will get in the way. I’ve always been known for my music gift. It is a gift I do not take for granted. It is something I have eagerly pursued, but then obstacles got in the way.

In my 20’s video games distracted me from music. Then in my 30’s it was youth ministry. Now don’t get me wrong, I mean no disrespect to ministry work. Ministry itself is a gift.

That is where things got tricky. To decide what to focus on since there are so many hours in a day. For a couple of years music took a back seat to ministry. This was probably the most valuable lesson I’ve learned as an adult.

When I saw music in my rear view mirror I knew I had to gauge the situation. When something you love isn't the main part of your life, you miss it. Those years in ministry was enough for me to make that difficult choice to retire and dive back into music. That’s exactly what I did.

As soon as music was in the forefront again, I felt artistically reborn. Playing my instruments, writing music, and teaching! My goodness I cannot imagine what my life would be like without teaching music.

I pass on to you what Mr. Reagan told me, always remember who you are. In my case it is music. I enjoy the opportunity to pass on the music trade to my students so they can carry on the tradition. I love to compose and play just for the pure enjoyment. Whatever your creative outlet is, pursue it. 

I want to be true to myself. To share my music zeal and knowledge with others. Not to mention a good jam session here and there never hurts.

There will always be obstacles. Distractions will occur. It is inevitable, but whatever you pursue, I want you to thrive. Thrive when obstacles or distractions rear its ugly head. And they will.

Use that gift that God gave you to the best of your ability. Don’t get bogged down with distractions. Overcome them and press on. Always remember who you are.

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