Success By Performing Without An Audience - Is Anyone Listening?

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 26th, 2010

To achieve success it can be important to keep going even if no one seems to be appreciating or even noticing what you are doing. Some people are not appreciated until after they have passed on into the next life. Hopefully, it won't take that long for the rest of us.

"A Night To Remember" is a 1958 film which tells the story of the sinking of the Titanic in a powerful and moving way. It stars Kenneth More as the dedicated officer who does his duty in putting women and children only into the life boats as the Titanic starts to sink and then manages to save a group of men who were amongst the last survivors.

As the boat is sinking, a legendary act of heroism takes place. The musicians keep playing on deck rather than taking care of their own survival.

One of them says "What's the use? No one is listening." Another comments "Well, no one is listening when we play at meals."

Even the Beatles must have thought no one was listening. In 1962, four years after the Titanic film was made, Decca recording turned them down:

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out."

Obviously in both stories someone was listening. Both the musicians on the Titanic and the Beatles became legends. Many people go through times when they feel no one is listening and they are wasting their time. However, if they keep going, they may just become legends too.

Any kind of performance usually involves the homework and the boring practice sessions when no one is watching or listening.

Those who can keep motivated during these practice sessions will usually get their reward when the audience finally arrive and they put in an astonishing performance.

As the film "A Night To Remember" nears its end, the lead violinist tells the musicians:

"It's the end, boys, we've done our duty. We can go now."

The musicians start to leave but the lead violinist starts playing on his own: "Nearer my God to thee."

The others rejoin him and one of them starts singing the hymn. The sound reaches the survivors in the life boats.

Whether things happened the way the film shows does not really matter.The lesson is the same. Keep taking action; keep praying or visualizing a great future.

The universe is quite probably taking note of your efforts and thoughts and will respond in its own good time. What you are doing will make some kind of a difference. Someone is noticing. Someone is listening.