| Music has always provided a marvelous neutral outlet for expressing the full range of emotions. Singing or playing a wind or brass instrument deepens the breath and provides a new voice - an intimation of new ways to be alive and expressive, which is deeply satisfying form of personal development. Something within us longs to know the full range of our possibilities and leaps at the chance to express in new ways - each human is like a prism with infinite facets. When a new facet develops, the gem glitters more brilliantly, the self expands, and we have more ways to interact with the world, one test of a satisfying life.... Doe Lang, 1980.
Three reasons why these new facets of personal development are important:
First, they direct your attention to important things
There are many things in life that can distract you from the important issues. Those distractions are mainly in the form of short-term pleasures. They may make you feel good in the short-term but cause your long-term growth to suffer. Personal development helps you direct your attention back to what is important.
Secondly, they increase your capacity
Not only does personal development direct your attention to what is important, it also helps you increase your capacity in those things. You have certain capacity to handle different kinds of challenges in your life and you can only handle challenges that lie within your current limit of ability. Personal development is a way to increase your limit so that you can handle more difficult challenges.
Third, they connect you with positive people
When you focus on something, you tend to find things that are related to it. For instance, if you are learning economy, you will spot many more economic-related stuff than you normally would. That's because your mind will filter out those things that are irrelevant. When you focus on something, your filter is set in such a way to give you more of it and less of other things. When you focus your attention on personal development, you are more likely to find like-minded people than you would otherwise. Having these positive people around you will in turn make it easier for you to grow. It's a virtuous cycle that brings you to higher and higher levels in life. Music is a comfortable background for the magic of sound and success. |
