This week I was reconnected to my favourite high school music teacher through this blog and what a gift that has been. About 30 years ago, which sounds ridiculous when put like that, me and my high school mates were bouncing and singing our way around a stage, belting out the tunes to “Grease the Musical”, and what a wonderful time it was!
Yet all these years later when looking around my office, I realised that I can attribute much of my success to lessons learned from this inspirational teacher. Discipline, is probably one of the hardest things to teach, especially to a pubescent teenage boy, yet somehow this lesson got through. And it wasn’t via yelling and screaming and punitive threats; her method was quite simple, if I didn’t turn up on time to my rehearsals, I was out of the singing group or show, which to me would have been devastating.
The discipline required by athletes to make it to the Olympic games is quite humbling. The years of dedication to training and mastery of their sport helps me appreciate the very achievement of being selected for an Olympic team. And whilst singing “Grease” tunes as a teenager may not have got me into the stadium as an athlete, the discipline lessons learned through turning up to rehearsals has certainly helped me in achieving all my personal and career goals so far!
Happy 21 days to go! Grease is the word!