The meaning of a master.

This week I had the pleasure to see a legend in concert, Ludovico Einaudi at the Royal Albert Hall in London. And what I want to share with you today are two incredible stories from the night.

1.       Being the Master

What struck me the most during the concert was that the hall was full, thousands of people all captivated by one man playing his piano. No fancy lighting or performance, just sheer mastery at work.

Some would say that Ludovico is gifted, others would say talent. What I would say is that he had the courage to find and dedicate his life to his gift. For he may have been blessed with excellent dexterity and timing, but you do not reach mastery without complete devotion, time and practice of your gift.

You do not reach mastery without first finding your gift, being curious enough to try different things, to try the things that others may laugh at or question. You have a gift, we all do. One of the greatest frustrations of life would be not to find it.

Once found, it is a crime to not chase it, dedicate your time, sacrifice time elsewhere.

This might seem too much, you might say that you don’t want to give all your time to something, well, maybe that something isn’t truly your gift?

But one thing is for sure. When you become a master, the crowds come and people want to see and be near you, that was evident at this concert.

So my question to you is, are you mastering your gift, you as a chiropractor are extremely talented, excellent some may say. But is there more you could do to become a master, to be the best, to have people travel hours to see you, to trust you and to rave about you. The potential that you have to change your community and the world is extraordinary, but it will only be realised if you chose to commit.

2.       Complete focus

The second story I wish to share is about the man that sat just in front of me at the concert. When Ludovico took the stage, the audience erupted in applause for the master. But this guy, he went a step further, on his feet and applauding with vigour and enthusiasm unmatched.

I smiled and thought this is a super fan!

The concert went on and he really got into the music, swaying back and forth, and nodding his head. Remember this is a concert pianist, not hip-hop.

After the break I realised something that made it all make sense. This man was blind.

What I realised was that without his sight to taint the performance, he was immersed in the noise, in the sound of the music. I closed my eyes and soon it became apparent that the music sounded better.

My lesson from this is to think how we can increase our senses; how can we focus deeper and connect more with our patients.

Try this as you move forward in the week, when you go to adjust, be still, stop talking, close your eyes and take a breath. The fourth step in my adjusting protocol is ‘pause’.

Complete focus and connection. Try it and see.

With love

Tom