This 20-minute TED talk is well worth your time.

Ben Zander reminds me of my piano teacher, W. Perry Johnson. Like a lot of kids, I started taking piano lessons as a little kid. But I stuck with it through high school and truly enjoy classical music. (I’m somewhere in between Ben’s 1st and 2nd groups).

Why did I stick with it? I can assure you, I was no prodigy and I didn’t will myself to be disciplined. I even took a break in junior high (which included a brief and stormy romance with jazz lessons) because I was tired of it.

What made the difference was my teacher’s passion. It inspired me. Perry had a passion for classical piano that overflowed. He believed that I could, should, and would love it. That I was capable of playing it well. He expected it.

His passion was rarely comfortable. Sometimes his enthusiasm seemed over the top. And he always let me what he thought. After a poorly performed piece, there would be a painful silence. Followed by his slow whistle of disapproval. But it taught me that there is something more valuable than my own comfort.

It might not be classical music, but I want my life to be marked with passion for what I believe in, and to inspire others like I’ve been inspired. To do that I must believe and invest in others:

The Conductor of an orchestra doesn’t make a sound…He depends for his power on his ability to make other people powerful.

I realized my job was to awaken possibility in other people.

You know how you find out? You look at their eyes. If their eyes are shining, you know you’re doing it…If the eyes are not shining, you get to ask a question…Who am I being, that my players eyes are not shining?

I’m curious to learn some practical steps for inspiring others. Here’s one unique approach for teachers. What are some other examples you’ve experienced or heard of?

For further thoughts on the video, check out how Kevin DeYoung applies it to the church. (He gets the HT for the vid, too.)

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