My biggest lesson of 2020

I consider myself someone who keeps herself close to her goals in general. So especially when the end of the calendar year approaches, I pull a fine tooth comb through what has happened, what worked, what didn’t work and most importantly what did I learn?

Today I’ll be sharing my biggest and most impactful lesson of 2020.

This past year seems more significant than most as we all moved through the pandemic. Most poignantly for me, I lived alone through the pandemic. Incredibly daunting at first, I utilized one of my favorite and most effective things I do with my mind: to choose my perception, in doing so I choose what I experience, and ultimately, I choose my reality.

I reframed it to myself as a “free meditation retreat” that had been a big surprise to receive. No airfare, no thousands of dollars in tuition, just a short walk from my bedroom to my meditation cushion! While still challenging, like a traditional retreat would also have been, this changed everything. The more I experienced the solo quarantine life and my special retreat, the more I realized my entire life is just one giant meditation. And for that, I am grateful.

One mantra on repeat for me this year was “Thank god I enjoy my own company. Thank god.” While not a “Top 40” mantra, I consistently reminded and thanked myself for the work I had previously done through mindfulness. Thank you to my previous self who had built a loving relationship with herself before the surprise retreat. And thank you to my current self for continuing to show up.

This loving relationship expanded leaps and bounds this year as I navigated feeling isolated socially, physically and as I surfed the waters of striking out on my own full time in Mindful Music. Essentially, each day I was met with myself, my craziest thoughts, my human fears and emotions, and got the opportunity to love her through everything, using mindfulness.

It takes courage and chutzpah to stare yourself in the eye and notice things. This is why I highly praise my students each and every time they offer themselves feedback in an honest and reverent way. I am fiercely committed to giving every student and client I support this skill and practice - the art of bettering oneself and loving oneself deeply at the very same time.

While my personal mindfulness practice and relationship expanded exponentially this year, it actually is not my top lesson of 2020. This practice was only possible through this top lesson and this top lesson supported every single thing I did and accomplished, including my meditation retreat.

My top lesson of 2020 is: Community matters.

Community matters. And not only does it matter, I experienced the deepest levels of support and community to date. None of the things I was able to do while I was physically alone were possible without the support and connection of people that deeply care about one another.

I was able to consistently choose courage over comfort, choose my perception and keep going because of community. Community and support helped me know that things will be ok and lifted me up as I leveled up and created change. Community helped me stay rooted in vision and love over circumstance.

As a musician who was trained from a young age, I believe that I am responsible for my results. The competitive music culture can breed the ideas that it’s lonely at the top and that support puts opportunity at risk. On top of that, practicing is a solo endeavor so many musicians, including myself encounter the belief that we can and should do it all on our own.

Because of this, community is a relatively new idea for me in the past few years. This year it was shown again and again in all parts of my life how much connection matters, support matters, and being part of a community with a common goal matters.

Here are some powerful community moments from 2020 that really mattered:

• One of my families and students came to my house, gave me a gift and encouraging artwork (pictured above) as I started Mindful Music full time. It mattered.

• I had a weekly call with my yoga group where we supported each other in staying grounded through the pandemic. It mattered.

• I joined three online communities of womxn entrepreneurs creating conscious businesses and visions. We inspired, supported and leveled up together. It mattered.

• After I reconnected with one of my treasured mentors. He mailed me a letter of encouragement and support. It mattered.

• I had hundreds of phone calls, zoom dates and walks with dear friends and family. It mattered.

• Once a month I had a Satsang with my yoga teacher training community where we held space and shared about our lives on and off the mat. It mattered.

• I knocked on doors and now know all of the neighbors on my block. It mattered.

The list goes on and on and on. Community matters, connection matters and supporting one another matters greatly.

Community is something we seek and we create together over and over.

Experiencing these deep levels of community this year has been my biggest teacher. So much so that I’ve been consciously creating deeper levels of community for the people I serve through Mindful Music.

I consider my readers and social followers, (that’s you!), a community. A community of people who read together and care about a vision for a better world.

My families and students are a community. We connect and grow through music and a common goal of equipping the next generation to succeed through love.

My mastermind, Powerful Womxn in Music, is a community. We will gain tools, insights, information and support as we build conscious businesses, impact and income. We will lift each other up every single step of the way.

I am devoted to every person I serve knowing that they matter, they get to be supported and they don’t need to go it alone. They get to be in a soulful and genuine community.

And finally, the biggest lesson in community I received in 2020 is of the global community.

Whether we like it or not, when one person breathes others spanning the entire world are affected. The virus taught us this.

When one person said “I can’t breathe” and was murdered, it sparked worldwide rightful protest and beginnings of needed action. George Floyd taught us this.

We were taught repeatedly as a globe that we just can’t do things alone, we need each other.

As a world, as human beings, we are connected. We are a community. We need community.

What was your biggest lesson of 2020? What worked? What didn’t work?

What communities mattered to you and why?

If you knew that seeking community based in a common goal would support you achieving your dreams, what kind of community would you seek?

I invite you to reply to this email and share your communities and community moments from the past year. I would love to hear them!

If you’re a womxn musician teacher, performer or entrepreneur seeking community and support as you level up your business, book a call with me here and learn about my mastermind, Powerful Womxn in Music! This sisterhood begins mid-January 2021.

And if you or your child would like to learn piano in community based in mindfulness as a path to excellence and self-love, reach out through my contact page. I’m accepting new students in the new year!

We go further together.

Support matters.

Shared vision matters.

And community certainly does matter.

In love, community and pursuit of a better world,
⭐️ Adrienne