NO ADMITTANCE? I didn’t see that!

Research, work, writing…. it has been a very busy moment in my life and I love it because I always want to be on the move. I was reading last night and a story touched my heart and mind. I decided to share and then say a thing or two that got me thinking.

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked “NO ADMITTANCE.”

When the houselights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage.

In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”

At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, “Don't quit. Keep playing.” Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his

left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato.

Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. And the audience was mesmerized.

The first question that comes to mind is……. Can you be like this mother? Do you encourage people to be the best or you drag them down? Are you jealous when people are making it? If you are then I have bad news for you….. no matter how much you dress jealousy up, it isn't cute. Most of us always criticize instead of building and inspiring others. We got the negative mentality more than the positive. I always ask people why they think negative before positive. Dad: “Kofi, I want you to give a speech on my birthday.” Kofi then starts thinking, “What if I make a mistake? What if I gbaa?” The positive leaves his mind instantly. Instead of thinking, “I have to make the best of this situation and make daddy proud of me.”

The woman could have discouraged the son easily. “You suck at that. Put the piano down and go and play football.” She didn't do that. She wanted to rather inspire the son. There are people in your life who need a little inspiration or motivation. Yes….they do! You may not know but when you say something nice to someone, it helps make their day. A simple smile makes people's day. Learn to show happiness because it is contagious.

Another golden nugget in this story is that, the boy also never gave up. He ignored the “NO ADMITTANCE” sign and moved on. He didn't let what was written scare him from exploring. It was his zeal…. his passion to play the piano. That enthusiasm urged him to go past the sign. The “NO ADMITTANCE” sign represents stumbling blocks in our lives. We face them all the time. Yes we do! It is up to us to make good use of them. While others use the blocks as stepping stones, many of us hit the blocks and retreat. If you really want to be great, ignore the “NO ADMITTANCE” in your life. They come in varied forms. It could be someone's words. “You can't do this. You can't do that.” People are full of negativity. They easily rub on us so watch out the kind of people you share your dreams with. They could easily tell you to back off but will steal your dream.

Ignore certain people. Ignore certain circumstances that stifle your growth and move on. It could be pretty difficult. The boy saw the crowd. I believe there were thousands of people but he wasn't moved. It was a moment that most of us would have crumbled but he wasn't perturbed in even the least of ways. He was focused on ONLY the piano and he got to it and started playing.

He was even playing the simplest of songs….. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. It shows how he wasn't an expert but was willing to learn and succeed.

Paderewski came on stage, saw the boy and told him, “Don't quit. Keep playing.” The fans must have been furious…. Yelling and screaming but this little boy heard them not. Do you hear the screams from your detractors? If you do, better get some headphones of positivity on. They would block you from the external forces of defeat.

When you set on the path to be who you want to be, there will always be that “helping hand.” It's something about life. You may not believe it but we tend to meet guardian angels in humanly forms. Just when you think there is no way something can be done, you get help from somewhere else. A door closes, another opens but this happens only when you take a step. Take the first step!

Whatever your situation in life and history…. however outrageous, however desperate… DON'T QUIT. There is always a solution. You have the power to transform any problem into a way to mesmerize your audience…

Just mesmerize them! More Vim!!