Vladamir Horowitz: A force of nature!
“I believe every time we make a fundamental shift of consciousness that opens a circle into a spiral, we face a kind of death. Sensing this impending death, we move through a period of fear, facing our demons. Like gargoyles, these demons are the protectors of the gates of transition.” The Way of Joy (excerpt)
I recently had an opportunity to tell a story on a live stage. about Milarepa, the great Tibetan hermit, singer, teacher who, it’s been said, lived a thousand years ago So I am reposting an older video blog of this story today for your enjoyment.
As a kid, I grew up with some heavy-hitters from the arts world hanging out in my family’s living room. The classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz (Volodya to friends) played the piano in the living room of our summer house when he was too nervous to go home during a thunderstorm; Frank Loesser, humorist extraordinaire and composer/lyricist of shows like Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed in Business without Really Trying, used to try to convince my younger brothers and me to chop up my composer father’s piano with a hatchet; and Martha Graham listened to my young dreams to become an actress and looked directly into my eyes and told me I must always follow my dreams.
I think that one of the most important things I learned from being around these “big names” in my daily life was that being a star does not mean being protected from our inner demons. I learned very quickly that uncertainty, those nagging inner nay-sayers and crazy-makers, are constant companions in our journeys both in our successes and our failures.
Tip o’ the camera to one of my treasured friends, the brilliant playwright, theater performer, and teacher, Jean-Claude van Itallie, who first introduced me to this tale.
What ways do you cope with those inner gremlin voices?
Author and Founder of The Way of Joy: A Spiritual Fitness Program, Vicki Dello Joio is a transformational speaker, life-changing workshop leader and show-stopping theater performer whose brand of brilliance is motivating people to claim their birthright of Joy. Book: The Way of Joy, CD: Short Meditations for a Busy Life.