Music is filling my ears, flowing from speakers out into my living room and tickling my fancy, and lighting me up. I am grateful for great jazz piano players. Oh, my! Excuse me a minute, I need to boogey, the bass is taking a solo...ahhh. Now the drums. So so so enlivening. Oh! Horn and sax...Wow! I am a lucky girl to have such beauty, such life vibrate the molecules of my space.

That brings me to the topic of competence. Sounds like a hum drum, mundane word to be the path to create beauty that moves millions to smile and truly enjoy But that level of skill takes doing and doing. This, if done for a heartfelt purpose can move one to hours of great joy in the learning. If one is dreading practice, then perhaps this is not the right course of endeavor for you. Or maybe, there is an unfortunate definition of work or practice that you are using. Make each note more beautiful, imbue each stroke with life. It raises the moment to pleasure.

We need not only wonderful artists, but some everyday magicians. The kind who make you feel better with a quiet conversation or a smile. But the ability to create the desired effect for those around you is of enormous importance. "There are many people one influences. The influence can be good it can be bad.", L.Ron Hubbard. www.thewaytohappiness.org @waytohappinesstampa