This article, “Be Bold (Part Three)” originally appeared in my weekly newsletter but I wanted to share it again here. Don’t get my newsletter? I know it’s not because you don’t get it because you obviously do… get it? Sign up here (the blue box on the right) and get the weekly news delivered to your inbox.

Yes, friends, it’s time to be bold. Time for a reprint of this summertime article. I hope you will enjoy the final chapter of this story.

Be Bold / Part Three – Restraint

WARNING!  This article contains material that some may deem offensive.

Just to bring you up to speed, I recently witnessed J.J, a four year old boy peeing in the pool. Not just sneaking one, but standing proudly by the side of the pool in plain sight, swim trunks around his ankles, wearing a big smile, and letting it fly, so to speak.

Then I observed him paying no attention to the critics shouting for his attention. His mom and dad continued to try to attract my new hero’s attention, but to absolutely no avail…he seemed to be on his own path and no one was going to stop him.

He did not even see his mom move from one end of the pool to the other. In fact, he was having a big old time, smiling, laughing, floating on that noodle in a leisurely trek to the far side of the pool, completely oblivious to the boo birds and the naysayers…..and oblivious to the fact his mother was waiting at the edge of the pool.  As soon as he got close enough, she reached in and snatched him up out of the water.

She then held his hand (I’m guessing fairly tightly) and escorted him hurriedly to a secluded terrace adjacent to the pool and sat him in a chair. From my vantage point I was unable to hear the conversation, but I can tell you this; his mother never visibly lost her cool.  I feel certain she was stern, but no one around would ever have known. She showed the kind of self control we all hope for.

This brings me to the next point of this story: showing restraint.

Now some of you may ask, what does showing restraint have to do with being bold? I believe there is ultimate strength and boldness in being in control.

Restraint is something we could use more of in the songwriting/publishing/critiquing business.  I hear of many heavy handed song critiques which really cross the line and, in my opinion, may run some emerging songwriters away.

My fear is this…what if that nasty critique caused that songwriter to quit…before he ever had the chance to craft a hit song that could potentially touch millions of lives? We all lose.

Restraint is something we could use in the seminars where songs are critiqued in public. Why would some so-called music industry expert (you DO realize we are all geniuses, right?) feel the need to attack a writer in public. My opinion is this; it is not my place to tell someone their song sucks, BUT, if it DOES suck, it is not my job to encourage him.

Back to J.J. and his mom.  She taught him a valuable lesson that day without embarrassing or berating him in front of others.  Maybe, he also got the lesson of showing restraint in dealing with others. And just maybe, he got the lesson of being bold… without peeing in the pool.

Thanks, J.J.

The Twenty – Be Bold

If you’re bold enough to accept it, my FREE gift to you is this brief exercise to help you assess where you are and where you want to go. I am certain you’ll find it to be helpful.

So, #TakeTheTwenty. You did Take The Twenty, right?  If not, why not do it now? Or at least after you listen to the latest episode of my podcast RANDOM ACTS.

chris@chriskeaton.com

Photo Credits – Cover: c.2017 pixabay.com ; Peeing: c. 2017 lefthandedtoons.com; Swimmer: c.2016 All-free-downloads.com