Article September 18, 1989 Issue

Butterflies?

Giving selflessly opened the way for one musician to leave stage fright behind when performing in public.

Jeff Simpson

From childhood I was always very nervous about performing on the piano. Finally, in college, it occurred to me that I did not have to accept this as a permanent, inescapable condition. And I began learning, through Christian Science, spiritual truths that helped me in both practicing and performing.

I learned by degrees, for instance, that we have no real ability of our own apart from expressing God. God is the source of all true action, and that action is always good. Christ Jesus did not rely upon belief in personal ability. He said, "I can of mine own self do nothing."^{John 5:30.} I became less afraid of making mistakes when I saw that my power to perform well was reflected because I am, as we each are, God's image or reflection, spiritual man.

The abilities to know and to remember are also reflected spiritual traits, I realized. God is Mind and is our Mind. We reflect that Mind by expressing pure, unlimited intelligence. Knowing this helped me to reject the fear of having a memory lapse.

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