Making Something Your Own

As a surprise for friends of mine who were just recently married, I performed a song at their reception.

I’m not sure if the song was well known, but people asked me if I wrote it.

And again, I’m coming clean here: I didn’t.  Thank you Ebe.

But it did get me to thinking, how do you take something, and “make it your own?”

Take the message, and share it through your own personality.

When I was preparing the song, and practicing it, I first figured out how the original artist played it and sang it.  This also included learning the lyrics, and what the message of the song was.

Then, I started to adapt it to what I knew I could do, what I wanted to say, and for who the song was for.  I made it so that I could sing the song well, and yet have enough space to adapt and feel comfortable with it.

i didn’t write the song, but its message was a good fit for what I wanted to say.  So then, I practiced and performed it in such a way that I wouldn’t feel pressured to perform it the way the original artist did, and yet still feel comfortable and confident in singing the song.

Sure, the practice to deliver the message had to be there, but I focused on delivering the message.

And delivering it in a way that I felt comfortable and confident doing, and spoke to my audience.

And to do it in a way that was, still me.

It was a huge compliment to me for people to  ask me if I wrote the song.  Even though people may not know who the original singer was, they could probably tell if it wasn’t you, or if you didn’t “own it.”

Thank you very much.  That was humbling and encouraging.

 

Pouring your heart and soul, a piece of yourself, through your expression.

Before, whenever I would perform, I would practice the lyrics and the chords so that I wouldn’t flub on stage, and be able to perform flawlessly.

That was good, but as I matured, I noticed that there was another level to the practice and mastery of the material.

And that was to learn the message well enough, that I can focus on expressing it.

It’s like a script in a movie.  It’s one thing to memorize the lines, the what.  And it’s another thing to deliver the message in a way that it will connect with the audience, deliver the message, and leave an impact.

It’s the how.

Knowing the song well enough allowed me to focus more on connecting with the audience, and being comfortable with performing as well.

It allowed me to focus on expressing the emotion and the feelings behind the song.

And looking back, that’s what allowed me to make the song my own, so to speak.

 

Sharing the message with heartfelt purpose and intention.

Another factor that helped make the performance, the song “my own,” was that I also wanted to give a great surprise for my friends, and a great performance as a gift for them.

Your purpose and intention in what you do counts for a lot for how much you do, and how far you go.

What if I had performed with the purpose to “just get it over with,” and “not to flub it up.”  How do you think my performance would have went?

Would I have prepared as much?  Would I have given it my all?

And on another note, would I have had so much fun?  And would the audience have had as much fun as well?

It’s important to keep in mind why you share the message, and how important it is for you.  In this case, I did it for two dear friends who deserve the best.

 

The communicating is done with your uniqueness, uniquely you.

Each of us have our talents and strengths, a unique blend of what we have, how we see things, and what we do.

To make it your own, you have to communicate using what you have, and where you’re good at.

Your personality, your talents and strengths, how you express and share, and your purpose and intention, combine to form and lend your personal style and approach to the message and what you do.

The challenge here is figuring out and accepting how those different elements combine within you, and how you can effectively use what you have.

It took me quite some time to figure out and accept what I had, and what was essentially “me.”  And to accept my personal power and possibility to change and improve myself.

To become more of who I am.

Uniqueness is also about discovering and accepting what makes you, you.  And how no other person is exactly like you, and in what and how you do.

 

Go all out.  Make it your own.

To make something your own requires a level of mastery, commitment, and heart.

You’ve got to be open to sharing a bit of yourself, and to “laying it all out on the line.”

And again, it’s also about your purpose and intention.  Are you there to give it your all?  Or to avoid looking like a fool.

Because sometimes, it’s those who work the hardest at not being seen as a fool, that look like fools.

Take risks, go all out.

Make it your own.

 

What do you do to make something “your own?”  Please share in the comments below!