MKMMA Week 15 — “Wild” Concert

We have an MKMMA assignment to watch some particular movies that depict people practicing principles that we are learning to embody in our MKMMA course. I watched “Wild” and see in it so many parallels to my experience.

Cheryl is the heroine in “Wild”. Her goal, her Definite Major Purpose, was to break from her past and reclaim her self-respect and sense of personal integrity by going on a humongous solo wilderness trek up the Pacific Crest Trail. Me, after leaving a difficult marriage, I set a goal to reclaim my soul by playing a solo piano concert, partly because I was an accomplished musician, and partly because soloing was something that deeply frightened me.

The support of an MMA, Master Mind Alliance, is crucial for the success of any big personal undertaking. In the movie, Cheryl had support from strangers all along her journey. Me, in front of the busload of us returning from an MLM convention in October, 2000, with great self-conscious nervousness I declared my intention to perform my concert. Twenty minutes later one of the other MLM’ers, a lawyer and community pillar, sat next to me and announced unequivocally that he would organize for me to play my concert at his church in Niagara Falls, Ontario. OMG, I was committed. Yipes!!

We all need a POA, Plan of Action, to accomplish a significant project. Cheryl’s POA seemed particularly ske
tchy, having started her first day with a back pack that was so heavy she had to go through contortions to even get it onto her back. She had made good plans though, with supportive friends who made sure parcels with essential gear arrived at various check-in spots along the Pacific Crest Trail.

For my POA, my first performance was planned for October, 2001. I began the project in October, 2000. I chose the program and practiced 6-10 hours a day. I made my schedule for the year: everything must be basically learned and memorized by June, 2001. Beginning in June, I would give practice-performances for friends. My first full friend-performance was in early September. That left me 6 weeks to master any weak spots and get really used to playing the program start to finish. Just playing through everything took nearly an hour, and I did that at least once daily.

Cheryl (it’s interesting that Cheryl is also my sister’s name) and I both had sufficient PMA, Positive Mental Attitude, to sustain us through our fears, stresses, and occasional inclinations to simply bail out.

It took Cheryl 4 years to complete her hike of the 1000-mile Pacific Crest Trail. I took me from October, 2001, to February, 2002, to complete 4 performances of my concert, in 4 different locations. The original book probably tells more about what Cheryl’s experience ultimately meant to her. For me, my concert experience gave me the absolute certainty that I am capable of “The Impossible”. It also started me on a steady uphill trail of musical and personal growth. The entire experience was a major milestone in my life, from which I continue to benefit right up to today.