All . . .

. . . of us. . .

. . . to our own degree . . .


". . . You cannot live in the world unless you can tolerate misfortune, and misfortune comes to us all; but misfortune easily runs out of control. While a simple cough is tolerable, "continual and inveterate causeth a consumption of the lungs; so doe these our Melancholy provocations." And (Robert) Burton identifies the very modern principle that everyone has a different level of tolerance for trauma, and that it is the interaction of the quantity of trauma and the level of tolerance that determines illness.  "For that which is but a flea-biting to one, causeth insufferable torment to another, & which one by his singular moderation, & well composed carriage can happily overcome, a second is no whit able to sustaine, but upon every small occasion of misconceived abuse, injurie, griefe, disgrace, losse, crosse, rumore &c yeelds so farre to passion, that his complexion is altered, his digestion hindered, his sleepe gone, his spirits obscured and his heart heavy . . . and he himselfe overcome with Melancholy . . . ". . . "
(from The Noonday Demon; An Atlas if Depression by Andrew Solomon)

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OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak.  Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com 


My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music will be released April 7, 2014  Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak

(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
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Moderation . . .

mod·er·a·tion

ˌmädəˈrāSHən/

noun

noun: moderation

1.

the avoidance of excess or extremes, esp. in one's behavior or political opinions.

"he urged the police to show moderation"

Aristotle said, "Moderation in all things" and even wrote a book detailing multiple situations to which is can be applied. On the surface, moderation seems to be a wise and prudent approach to take with many things from diet to politics.  Still, Americans seem to find it a very difficult thing to practice.


Yet . . .

"A wise man is superior to any insults which can be put upon him, and the best reply to unseemly behavior is patience and moderation."
-Moliere

"Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody."
-Mark Twain

"Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess."
-Oscar Wilde

"Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation."
-Saint Augustine

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Moderation. . .

. . . in all things. . . 

I've always thought that ego and self-confidence were pretty much the same thing.  And as in all other things, moderation must be practiced in implementing either.

My music gives me pause in this regard quite frequently.  Truth is, my self-confidence increases daily and reassures me that I am doing what I am supposed to with regard to the music.

In fact, I envy young, creative people (musicians in particular) who have a self-confidence that I could never have dreamed of at their age.  That self-confidence is the fuel that will help the truly talented (and even the marginally-talented who possess it) achieve success.

In my case, I have finally developed a sufficient amount of self-confidence after years of honing my skills.  So one complements the other;  the skills combined with the confidence enable me to perform. In the case of the younger ones mentioned above, their inverse amounts of self-confidence and skills will help them persevere, while those skills they need are developed.

The difference between us is, had I possessed quantities of both of these qualities earlier, I would have had more time to develop my market.

But still I am conscious of allowing the confidence to become too great, in which case the delicate balance would surely be ruined.

All things in moderation.
Know what I mean?

MY EGO
©1998 Raymond M. Jozwiak




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