Did anyone else feel this way?

[trentoliphant]

The rally was absolutely a fantastic experience for me with many wonderful memories and things learned.One thing I found happening with me however was a little bit of a roller coaster. I went from feeling:"Yes, I can do this - I know it will take work but I can do it" (which I felt most of the time) to occasionally:"Who am I kidding? The bar is so high and all the great songs have already been written." It didn't happen very often (usually after hearing a song that I thought was good get shot down by the panel) and it wouldn't last very long, but it was definitely there.Did anyone else experience that kind of feeling while at the rally?Trent

[twilsbach]

Nov 11, 2008, 11:29am, trentoliphant wrote:The rally was absolutely a fantastic experience for me with many wonderful memories and things learned.One thing I found happening with me however was a little bit of a roller coaster. I went from feeling:"Yes, I can do this - I know it will take work but I can do it" (which I felt most of the time) to occasionally:"Who am I kidding? The bar is so high and all the great songs have already been written." It didn't happen very often (usually after hearing a song that I thought was good get shot down by the panel) and it wouldn't last very long, but it was definitely there.Did anyone else experience that kind of feeling while at the rally?TrentI hear what you're saying. I think that is a microcosm of general feeling of lots' of peoples careers, people who are doing it full time included. If you're self aware and are trying to always grow, self-doubt is just part of the process a uniquely human experience.

[rfrey]

Hey Trent,I have to admit I had those feelings as well on and off through the weekend. The good thing is that there is a path to follow. I mean a lot of the excellent material is coming from people who actively participate in this forum. They are so supportive in here so its very encouraging.

[weapon]

Think of it this way man, there are almost 7 billion people in the world, and you only need a fraction of that to be successful in the music business. I ran into some negativity from some, but you have to just brush that off, you can never let anything get in the way of your goals. Remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't let negativity get you down, stay strong, because the stronger you are the more success will come your way.

[mazz]

Trent,So great to meet and hang out with you this year. You always seemed to have a smile on your face every time I saw you!!As you well know, ups and downs are a natural occurrence. The only thing you have control over is how you deal with those ups and downs.I try not to let myself get sucked down too deep but I also try not to ignore or deny the valleys, either. I like weapon's post a lot (I like weapon a lot too!! ), listen to weapon!! (Even though he spells his first name wrong, I still trust what he says!!) Hang in there Trent!!!Mazz

[allends]

Nov 11, 2008, 4:33pm, weapon wrote:Remember this is a marathon, not a sprint.And all of this comes from a man wearing cruel shoes!

[adrienne]

I have to echo everyone's comments. There will always be ups and downs in everything in life. But because it's a dream, the downs make us doubt ourselves a bit more because we want it so bad. It's all part of the journey. If it were easy it wouldn't be worth having. All the downs are there to make us stronger and push us harder. It'll happen. Stay strong...and enjoy the ride

[hazineju]

Nov 11, 2008, 4:46pm, mazz wrote:Trent, The only thing you have control over is how you deal with those ups and downs.Mazzgood one, gotta write this down.Hey Trent, it was great talking to you, and i agree with mazz too about what a happy spirit you seem to have. please keep me posted on your musicals, i can't wait to hear them!juliet

[jazzstan]

I'll second Adrienne's point ... and add that when I did get hit with the occasional down moments, I just remember some of the folks who were far more prevalent in the first few rallies: These were the people with some of the most god-awful songs and/or embarrasingly pitiful performances, who were thoroughly convinced that they were abso$%&inglutely fantastic, and argued at any and all criticism. Those folks NEVER had any down moments. The point is, my "down" moments are when I am accepting the truth that I still have more to learn, and more work to do. Which mean's I'm being honest with myself - which makes the growth and improvement possible. "Pain is the touchstone to growth" someone wrote, or as another buddy, a school teacher says, "We don't grow until we are outside of our comfort zone, or else when the boundaries of our comfort zone start shrinking around us." The devil on my left shoulder is actually powerless to ~do~ anything, but he excels at being negative. He would rather have me in ignorance and inaction, where he can paint an even more bleak picture. But I've learned to recognize his voice, and say, "Yeah, thanks for sharing. Later, dude." And I move on, out of the shadows and once again into the light.

[sgs4u]

Nov 11, 2008, 11:29am, trentoliphant wrote:Did anyone else experience that kind of feeling while at the rally?TrentI went thru tons of weirdness with my confidence at last year's rally. So this year, I decided not to allow myself to be competitive, either with my expectations, or with anyone else. I had the most wonderful time.