I have a secret.

I play the piano and I’m not terrible at it.

But, most people in my life today have never heard me play. I don’t record myself. I don’t perform for others. I only play for myself. My boys have grown up hearing me play though and sometimes ask me to play.

Yesterday my family visited a large music store so my youngest could pick out a guitar for his birthday. My oldest and I wandered into the piano room and he asked me to play piano.

I instantly resisted: “No. People will hear me. I haven’t played in a while.”

Then my 14 year old said to me what I often say to my clients when their inner critic creeps in: “so what?”

What’s the worst that could happen?

How bad could it actually be?

And so I did it and I messed up but I had fun and I’m glad I let him push me out of my comfort zone.

When your inner critic steps in and tells you that you aren’t good enough, aren’t perfect enough, might make a mistake, might regret something, try asking yourself “so what?”

We all could be a bit more like this 14 year old who just sits down at a piano in public and plays because it makes him happy.