“The biggest tragedy in America is not the great waste of natural resources – though this is tragic; the biggest tragedy is the waste of human resources because the average person goes to his grave with his music still in him.”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes
After the release of my first book Unopened Gifts: A Journey to Gratitude, there has been a higher level of interaction amongst my clients and followers around the concept of “Gifts”. One can see it in the words and activity of children – we can be anything we want to be in life – our “gifts” are limitless. As we start to climb the age ladder, we begin to “color between the lines” and to seek the approval of our actions from parents, teachers, friends, peers, and various authority figures. Our “gifts” reduce in size and scope, and we often go along to get along.
However the “gift”, also known as our “music”, never goes away no matter how hard we work to separate ourself from it or to drown it out. What is your “gift”? What does your “music” sound like when you listen to it? What is keeping you from opening the “gift”, sharing your music, and being the truly authentic individual you were designed to be? One trigger of stress in life is when we do not do something that we know we should do. In the broader picture of living, if you have a level of tension that seems to have an unrecognized source, take a look at your “gift” and listen for your sound of “music”. Open the “gift”, play your “music”, and allow the generosity of your actions inspire others to do the same.
In my interviews with hundreds of leaders over the last few years, one theme repeats itself – a far higher degree of regret comes from not doing something in life – as opposed to doing something that -in retrospect- one wishes they had not done.
