Article Source: Sally Bonkrude - PositiveInnerChange

I was talking to a good friend of mine and she was telling me how she lives as if every day is a good day to die. First, I thought, “Are you suicidal?” Then, as I listened, I realized she was attempting to live every day as if it was her last day. As I think about really great performances, they appear to be done also, from that philosophy of, “It’s a good day to die”. The performer is giving their all…totally in the moment with raw emotion and energy. They are present with what is, not worried about what others are thinking, and not caught up in an attempt to be their best. They are in the flow…connecting to Self Energy, to Source and performing from their core self.

I think about some of the best performances that I have done and usually I find that the ability to let go and be “all in” was the result of not being caught up in the performance or stories in my head, but instead being grounded in life and death. All of a sudden, I had nothing to prove. I remember being awake all night with a neighbor that was sick and having to sing in the morning. On the one hand, I was exhausted and on the other hand it didn’t matter. I would sing from my soul….it was a good day to die. The other performing experience that stands out was performing at an event that couldn’t be rescheduled and knowing that I was also on my way home to be with my Father who was dying. I was emotional and my young daughter and son performed with me for added support. As I sang, I looked at the love in my daughter’s and son’s eyes, felt the gravity of my Dad’s death and just let go in the moment. It was powerful to feel so connected, so present, so unconcerned with the outcome. It just didn’t matter.

So, it is that today I focus on performing from the place of, “It’s a good day to die”. The performance is not about me, my ability to perform well or to fall on my face. Either way, my performance doesn’t define who I am. So, I recommend practicing because you love the music, and perform every time, as if it was your last….. “All In”  performing, no holding back!

Sally Bonkrude MA, LPC, MT-BC
Performance Coach, Speaker, Author