Your Gift Matters
Posted by tomleveen at 11:58 pm
Here’s what:
Don’t ever — ever — let anyone tell you that you can’t accomplish something.
We shut down Chyro Arts Venue tonight. And that sucks. In many different ways. But, to coin a phrase, it is what it is. The point is…we did it.
We started Chyro because we wanted to create a place where all the arts had a home. We were more or less successful on that front. What evolved, though, was a place where young bands, in particular, had a place to go and where new and seasoned actors alike could tread the boards in a show or two. I did some of my best work as a director at Chyro. I saw some of the best bands there. We made friends that will still be close. We earned support from hundreds of people who saw and believed in our vision for our little corner of south Scottsdale.
The odds were against us. We didn’t know what we were doing. We had no real knowledge of what it was going to take. It never should’ve gotten off the ground.
But it did.
Sometimes, it was a act of sheer will to get those doors open. Sometimes, it took an infusion of cash no one really had. But we didn’t give up on it. We stayed friends throughout. And I like to think we changed the world. Maybe just a little, maybe just for awhile, but changed it all the same.
If we can do it, so can you.
Whatever it is you’re passionate about, whatever it is you love, whatever it is you’ve got to offer the world, go get it. A little risk can be a good thing. It doesn’t have to be a business (or a non-profit). It’s whatever makes your heart race, whatever makes you smile. It can be gardening, knitting, walking the dog, playing with your kids, reading, writing, artithmetic…the list goes on forever and ends only when you say it does.
And I don’t care how old or how young you are, either. Set a goal, and go get that sucker. Because no one is going to do it for you.
Finally…do it, and then give it to someone else. Share it. I dunno how, but share it. Achieving something isn’t nearly as much fun by yourself. Trust me. It takes a lot of people to finish writing a book, for example. Or open a non-profit mixed-use arts venue in a strip mall.
Your gift matters. Share it.
And as for Chyro Arts Venue….thanks, you old gal. You did a great job. We owe you.
~ Tom
