Dare to become a beginner

Thanks to the iPod everybody has their music in their pockets. But what about the other kind of music, the one you create yourself? Almost everybody either plays an instrument or regrets that they don't. One of my bucket list items that I've been wanting to do for years is start playing the guitar. The plan was to start when I'm done with my degree but I couldn't wait another few months.

The last few days, even when it was just for five minutes I've been practicing. There's awesome free material on youTube and if you happen to have a Mac computer you might have some lessons sitting in that laptop of yours without knowing it. So what's so special about playing an instrument? There are the benefits which are evident once you're a good player such as being able to entertain the folks by a campfire or take your guitar with you wherever you go. But even if you're an absolute beginner like me there's a lot to be gained.
Marty Schwartz a guitar teacher from http://www.guitarjamz.com/ said a very interesting thing: when you play the guitar you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. That means if your little finger is literally too little right to reach the string or the ringfinger is just hanging in there without exerting the slightest bit of pressure you still keep going. So what? It's not a question of talent, at least to get to an intermediate level. It's about understanding that it's quite okay to not be a born master, to practice and to give your hands and fingers a chance to develop the necessary muscles and coordination.
A beginner can not afford to be scatterbrained about playing. There's no worrying, hurrying, reminiscing or dreaming of the future while you're playing, it's just you, the guitar (or whatever instrument) and the present. In a world full of multi-tasking it's soothing to be engrossed in a single activity that you enjoy and makes you lose track of time.
Learning an instrument also teaches a certain faith in yourself. It teaches you that having patience, persistence and fun always leads to improvement. The beauty of being a beginner is that progress happens rapidly. So get rid of that notion that you have to be a pro at everything and start jamming just for the heck of it. Have fun and who knows, maybe we can have a band in a year or two.