Negativity. Oftentimes, it stems from insecurity and superiority complexes. Other times, we just choose to wallow in misery because of a bad day. We have all been guilty of this. If you haven’t ever, then you’re lying. It’s very easy to be negative in an industry that is governed by how you look, how good you are, and whether or not you can be marketed. However, it can be dealt with and overcome by redirecting our thinking a bit. Check out the following tips:

1. Remember why you’re in it to begin with. Do you love music? Do you love to play or perform? Then you need to focus on that. While gigs can be scarce sometimes, we have to remember that the joy we get from music is the main reason why many of us are in this industry to begin with. You have to love it.
2. Celebrate other’s successes. I have seen this more than a few times in the industry. This can be summed up really fast: How many guitar players does it take to change a light bulb? The answer is 10. 1 to change it, and the other 9 to boast about how they could do it better. Instead of focusing on how much better we might be than the next person, be happy for him/her when something goes their way and encourage them. This is really important, especially if it’s someone you know. Trust me, you will be much more at peace if you are happy for the person than letting their success eat you alive.
3. Kill off the “good old boy” system. This is something that I see eating away at a number of up-and-comers and I have felt it a time or two as well. A musician’s affiliation (while it can really be helpful in certain situations) shouldn’t be the defining factor that determines whether or not they are treated with respect. Character and ability needs to come before status. Wonderful musicianship (and wonderful people for that matter) can come from anyone and anywhere. Be open to new people. You will find yourself growing in ways you never thought possible. This leads nicely into . . .
4. Be approachable. Showing a willingness to chat with others, trade experiences, and share knowledge is paramount to holding negativity at bay and ultimately being successful.
5. Focus on the good. This is a simple concept but hard to implement sometimes. Just work on being positive. If you can’t say something nice . . . then maybe it isn’t good to say much of anything.

Hope you enjoyed this post! If you have any questions or comments, please be sure to share them in the comment section. Thanks for reading!