Turning points

There are two kind of turning points.  Internal and external.  One of them usually comes first.  

I’m thinking of this last night watching the first round of the Hollywood auditions on American Idol.  Some singers are looking for their moment, to be discovered, to have their life changed.  They’re looking for an external turning point.  But the internal doesn’t measure up.  They’re nervous, self-conscious, sometimes self-deceived.  They seem preoccupied with how they’re coming across.  It’s not so much about what they’re doing as it is about what they hope to get.

But you can tell some singers have reached an internal turning point.  Their whole presence says this is something they’ve been doing and living internally, whether people are watching or not.  The doing is consuming them and at that moment they’re not thinking of any external turning point.  You know they care what people think, but they’re all internal with the performance – they're not looking around trying to figure “how’s it going?”

The internal turning point is when you lock in a focus or commitment or purpose.  David rescued sheep, killing lions and bears when no one was watching.  He didn’t do it for anything external.  The external turning point came when people got to see the internal -- This uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of those lions and bears!  He was just going to do what he always did.

The internal turning point usually has to come first, and be developed and strengthened with no external conditions or expectations.  Until then, any external turning point opportunities can be wasted (and maybe embarrassing).  Once the internal turning point has happened, then you’re on the road to being ready for an external one.

Comments

[Lindsay @ Not2Us]

I. love. this.

and, also...

I needed to hear it. Thank you.