Why does it take the holiday season to get us to celebrate, when really we have so much to celebrate all year round?
Do you ever wonder about this?
We live our lives where we don't stop to be grateful for the things we have, the people in our lives and the experiences we create. Last night I had another great experience. I spent the evening with Deborah Stavis and Eddie Cohen and several of their closest friends and clients. When I received the invitation I knew it would be a special evening.
It was extraordinary.
At 7:00 pm we were corralled to the ballroom to listen to an hour of beautiful music. I watched the crowd sing along and laugh. The Broadway musical genius, Scott Burkell had the whole room engaged. Local media diva, Deborah Duncan was on hand to make us laugh and sing. What an amazing beautiful voice she has. It too, was extraordinary. I had the chance to spend some time with them both last night.
It isn't an ordinary day in my life that I get to meet a Broadway musical composer, an artist, a media queen, or even a room of them, OR IS IT? In the past week I've had 2 opportunities. And while they are some of the most talented people in the world, we take for granted the art they create and music that we hear when we jog to our IPods or jam in the car. We sometimes make these things ordinary. But, we also take for granted just about everything, really, now don't we?
If we don't stop to acknowledge and appreciate what we have, life is just ordinary.
My reflection both of these musical experiences is that life isn't ordinary. It's extraordinary when we choose to see it that way. We have to see our own "extraordinary" in ourselves. We have to own our gifts and give it our best. We aren't guaranteed tomorrow so we must make the most of each and every day, today. We have to choose wisely who we put in this life and celebrate the big and small moments. And we must create extraordinary in our lives.
Scott and his talented group of musicians (all many of Deborah and Eddie's closest friends, associates, and family members) sang this amazing song, "Ordinary Day". I hope you'll take 5 minutes to enjoy it and think about what ordinary and extraordinary mean to you. We have so much to celebrate not just in the holiday season, but every day. Listen to the lyrics and you'll get what I'm saying!
Oh, and dare I forget to say, Scott Burkell and his co-composer, Paul Loesel wrote a Broadway musical, "The Extraordinary Ordinary" in 2010. Their music and art has travelled the world. Not surprising though...
They are extraordinary.
What's extraordinary and ordinary about your life? Have you told the people in it that they matter? What will you do today to make your life worth the moments you've been given? What art and experiences are you creating?
Like what you hear and see? Come check out Scott Burkell's and Third Coast Creative's world premier of Ho Ho Humbug! I expect it will be nothing short of extraordinary! You can also see both Scott and Deborah Duncan on her show at 9AM CST today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oebhbdghrtw&list=PL187BF8DD6632EAE2&spfreload=10
