I spent many years in management and have always been intrigued with human behavior. People tend to look at the end result and assume that someone was blessed with superior intellect, talent, or circumstances that enabled their success. In my experience, this is sometimes the case but more often it’s quiet perseverance.

I often wonder what might be achieved if people simple didn’t give up. I wonder how often we have been close to a breakthrough success only to give up inches before the finish line. In the context of “The Average Piper” this speaks to where people find themselves technically and musically. Where might you find yourself if you had invested five more minutes daily toward your musical goals? What might you have achieved if you had paid better attention to those resources around you? At what point did you pull back or give up? When did you stop learning and stop improving? These are interesting questions.

We’re expecting a pretty good snow storm this week. People will wake up on Wednesday morning to a beautiful blanket of fresh snow covering everything. It’s impossible not to be somewhat in awe of nature. What we’ll actually be seeing is the culmination of trillions of individual snowflakes. I think that we can equally equate this to the success we achieve in music, at work, or in life, albeit perhaps the results won’t come that swiftly or be quite that dramatic. None-the-less, with every breath we take, we’re creating a mosaic that tells others who we are and what we’re all about.

Because of limitations in time, talent, and circumstances, most of us will find ourselves settling somewhere within the definition of an “Average Piper”. I’m good with this, but strive to be an excellent “Average Piper.” Break through barriers to achieve the best you can possibly be. Hold yourself to a higher standard and NEVER give up! The journey…millions of tiny steps.