Byron Katie on Forgetting the Past to Better the Future

Tuesday Quotes are short explorations of music, life, and the daily endeavor of practicing classical guitar. Find more here. Enjoy!

What I love most about the past is that it’s over

Byron Katie

There’s a trap many of us fall into. We start to believe that “This is just how I am.” or “I’m good at this and not at that.”

When an idea comes to mind, we quickly dredge up all previous experiences and decide up or down. Public speaking? I’m not good at that. Hot-headed? That’s just who I am. Can’t change now. It’s nature.

But that’s all malarkey.

We don’t have to stay locked into old notions. We don’t have to limit ourselves to what we’ve done in the past.

So what if we weren’t good at singing 20 years ago. So what if we never learned how to read musical notation. So what if we embarrassed ourselves dancing at prom.

The past is over. We can be whoever we choose to be. Right now.

We can pick up the guitar and focus like a Nobel Laureate physicist. We can stretch like a dancer and train like an Olympian. We can choose how we want our guitar practice to be, and make it that. One day at a time.

This doesn’t mean everything will be easy. Physicists have to manage distraction, too. Dancers fall down and Olympians sometimes feel lazy. They just keep showing up.

Hi, I’m Allen Mathews.

I started as a folk guitarist, then fell in love with classical guitar in my 20’s. Despite a lot of practice and schooling, I still couldn’t get my music to flow well. I struggled with excess tension. My music sounded forced. And my hands and body were often sore. I got frustrated, and couldn’t see the way forward. Then, over the next decade, I studied with two other stellar teachers – one focused on the technical movements, and one on the musical (he was a concert pianist). In time, I came to discover a new set of formulas and movements. These brought new life and vitality to my practice. Now I help guitarists find more comfort and flow in their music, so they play more beautifully.
Click here for a sample formula.

I just want to thank you for your lessons. You are helping us to understand how a piece is composed, the parts to analyze and how to do it. You are teaching a lot about how to read and play, and the most important part: PLAY with the music and ENJOY it.

~ R. Martinez

-R. Martinez

Hi Allen, I am a Dutch guy who plays classical guitar (solo and together with a flute player). Unfortunately I have been suffering from focal dystonia since begin 2016. Of course I tried physical therapy which didn't help… But I tried some of your [technique] lessons (I had teachers before but I was never taught your techniques) and to my big surprise the nasty feeling in the back of my right hand which pulls my index finger upward was gone! So now I practice your lessons. Anyway, I am very happy to have found you on the internet. Thanks very much!

~ Arnoud Reinders

-Arnoud Reinders