Enough

This weekend I got to see an amazing concert put on by Musical Bridges Around the World, a local arts organization in San Antonio. They put on free concerts with world-class musicians and run programs that get kids and veterans engaged in music. We are lucky to have them in town.

The artists were Sam Reider on accordion and Jorge Glem on cuatro. They played a mix of Venezuelan, folk, and American music that was a blast. But what stuck with me most was something Jorge said halfway through the concert. It went something like this: “People who are rich have money. But I have time, and that is enough for me.”

It is easy to get sucked into the game the world says you have to play. Get the highest grades, make first chair, land the best job. Somewhere along the way, playing an instrument becomes about mastering a craft and being the best, because that is what we are told music is about.

Pushing toward a goal has its place, and there is real success on the other side of hard work. But I suspect that when people look back, what they wish they had more of is time, not accolades.

There is a fine line between managing the discomfort of a challenge worth struggling for and pushing through something you don’t truly care about. I know the difference from my own practice. Some days I go through the motions while my mind is elsewhere, and it never helps me improve. On those days, I would be better off doing something I was actually engaged in than giving music half of my attention.

Jorge’s line reminded me of those days. Time is the one thing you can’t get back, and it is easy to spend it going through the motions on something you chose because you “love it.”

That is part of why I value Embrace. We are a small, tight team working to solve problems we have faced so others don’t have to. It is time I want to spend.

Jorge’s message left me asking: am I present in the things I choose to spend my time on, or am I sleepwalking through a life I don’t truly want? Jorge spends time on what matters. I want that to be true for me too.

Play freely,