This is the first of 8 installments of posts, all centralized around the video below...
In each new post, we'll consider a different principle in goaltending that relates to me playing the piano in public.
For #1, let's look into pushing our comfort zones.
I am not a professional pianist. I dabble. I play to blow off steam and to explore another creative outlet. My brother Connor and I learn new songs each year to play for our mom at Christmas...that's the original inspiration to start.
I found this multi-purpose coffee shop & creative area downtown, St. Paul, when my mom and youngest brother, Toby visited me in the summer. It's a fantastic, energizing space, bustling with entrepreneurs, artists, and creators.
We were wandering around the art and recording studios then stumbled upon this piano in the main dining space...the area you see in the video.
It's an expansive room, quite large, and often splattered with pockets of studiers or workgroups.
I remember saying to my mom, "I wish I was the type of person to have enough courage to just sit down and play in front of everyone."
The thought of playing piano in front of others was (and is) just completely uncomfortable to me.
Without psycho-analyzing myself too much, I think there's a reason I was drawn to being a goalie. I liked being behind a mask and armor. I like feeling protected and secure.
Out in the open, making sound on an instrument for everyone to listen to, I am waaay out of my comfort zone. I'm an athlete, I'm a coach. I feel out of place in that environment.
But how did I feel when I was done?
Accomplished. Energized. Full. Clear. Beaming.
That's what I've found happens when you surprise yourself and push the boundary of comfort. You find a new normal.
Not saying that I'm going to become a regular at open mic night, but I got just a little more comfortable being up in front of people and putting myself out there.
So I encourage you, in whatever you endeavor, do something unexpected. Do something radical that makes you uncomfortable.
Push the envelope.
If I can play my piano in public, you can push your own envelope too, in whatever way that looks like for you.
Stay frosty, friends. And stay tuned for principles #2-8 this week!
Josh