Harmony and collaboration create joy – That is what came to mind as I watched Lee play a big concert over the weekend. He had created a show, “1971, The Greatest Year In Music” six years ago, played it here several times and then his Nashville musician friends picked it up, selling it out every time it has been presented. I always come away impressed, seeing lessons for everyday life.
Watching this concert gives me inspiration. Seeing people live in harmony by doing what they love, with passion and a sense of purpose, while coordinating a 12 piece band toward excellence, despite playing very complex music from many different artists, is an ultimate creative experience. It illustrates the joy that is produced and gets conveyed when you work from a place of seeking harmony and collaboration.
Here are some thoughts on how to install harmony and collaboration in your everyday life.
HARMONY STARTS BY FOLLOWING YOUR TALENT AND PASSION
This may seem obvious, but it can’t be overstated. When we follow our interests, talents and passion, we are much more likely to be happy and successful. Artists are an obvious example, for most are following an inner calling to share their gifts, against big odds of being rich and famous.
As the lyrics of one of my favorite 1971 songs, “Stairway to Heaven” says – “There’s a lady who’s sure that all that glitters is gold, and she’s buying a stairway to heaven”*. It doesn’t work. You have to follow your inner calling. When you use your gifts, talents and passion, you set the stage for living in harmony with yourself. It’s a powerful foundation for everything else that follows.
FIND OTHERS WHO HAVE THE SAME VALUES/IDEALS
Musicians and other performing artists find and work with others who have similar interests and ideals. It’s a necessary component to their work. Lee says he learned great management lessons by being in bands. They understand the concept that the sum of the whole is greater than the individual parts. You have to surrender your ego for your work to be excellent.
This concept can be foreign in our competitive work culture. It takes clear intention to put yourself in an environment that understands and supports the idea that everyone needs to shine for the end product to be superior. When you are encouraged to be your best and given support to do so, the entire nature of your work will excel. Surround yourself with others who do that for one another.
LET COLLABORATION BE A GUIDING PRINCIPLE
In the music industry, it is a given that you will be collaborating with other musicians and the product will be greater based on your degree of positive contribution. It’s a fundamental principle that ultimately changes the nature of your work interactions.
Starting out with the idea that collaboration is good and helpful is finally happening across many fields. Getting along is essential, being positive and reinforcing one another is standard in healthy work settings. Though we see political and even religious institutions focused on competition, and divisive right vs. wrong mentalities, most of us know it creates harmful and toxic environments. Make a clear choice to be collaborative and watch new doors open.
MAKE HARMONY A GOAL
While I am not a musician, I certainly know, as you do, how beautiful harmony sounds. It is an intention that prompts everyone to follow specific guidelines to bring music together. It is like creating something magical when everyone collaborates around the principles of harmony.
You can make the same choices in how you live. When you start by living in harmony with your gifts, skills and passion and put yourself in situations where they are honored, appreciated and given room to develop, you harmonize with your inner self – mentally, spiritually and physically. This is how we thrive.
The music from Lee’s 1971 show was impressive in how it illustrated these principles of creating joy through harmony and collaboration.
You can make these ideas work for you too by following your interests and passion, finding others who have the same values and standards, making collaboration a guiding principle and harmony a goal.
See if this doesn’t help clarify how to have a more satisfying and rewarding life.
Do these principles of harmony and collaboration speak to something you would like to see more of in your life? Reach out. My Transformational Coaching and Therapy is structured to help you make these elements part of your foundation. Go to www.spectrumtransformation.com and use my Free Consultation link to reach me. I’d love to hear from you.
