How to run out of excuses

Beethoven went deaf at age 40.

In the novel “Kafka on the Shore”, Haruki Murakami describes Beethoven’s predicament perfectly:

“A deaf composer’s like a cook who’s lost his sense of taste.”

Yet some of Beethoven’s best composing came after he went deaf.

What’s your excuse?

Feeling sorry for himself was perfectly reasonable given the circumstances, but Beethoven wasn’t willing to give up music. As his ability to hear slowly faded over the years, he desperately practiced more and more to squeeze out as much practice time as he could while he could still hear. It’s likely that without his hearing beginning to fail slowly, Beethoven would never have pushed himself as hard as he did.

But the work didn’t end when he went completely deaf — it had only just begun.

While he had developed his muscle memory and feel for what sound each note would make, the loss of auditory feedback would diminish the abilities of any composer. So he decided to improvise by holding a pencil in his mouth and resting the other end on the piano. When he played, he would feel the sound vibrations the piano gave off.

Another method he used was cutting the legs off of pianos so the sound would vibrate through the floor. He ruined many pianos by pounding on the keys to “feel the sound” vibrate through him, but given the alternative, he gladly accepted the added expense.

The main lesson from this story was summarized by Marcus Aurelius nearly 1800 before Beethoven lost his hearing:

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

Any adversity you face is a chance to improve yourself.

Things don’t always work out for the best, but you do always have the chance to choose the best option.

Stories like Beethoven’s are why you need to read. And watch documentaries. And speak to more strangers.

Once you collect enough stories, you suddenly run out of excuses.

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