Anke and I sat in the front row of the Verti Music Hall in Berlin last Friday. The beautiful and very comfortable black chairs quickly immersed me in an absolute atmosphere of well-being. I could even smell the mulled wine from the foyer. On the stage in front of me, the violinist Lindsey Stirling sat in a stylish black and white jacket during her meet and greet with some wonderful people. The 37-year-old slender American with her blonde hair, known for her unique fusion of classical music, electronic dance music, and pop, has shown the music industry in recent years what real success looks like.
Lindsey Stirling Superstar
Back then, every record company gave her the same response to her music: “Who cares about a violinist? People can’t sing along. It won’t work.” Her autobiography “I was the only pirate at the party” hits the nail on the head. Being different is the key. So, at that time, she took matters into her own hands and uploaded her songs to YouTube. She now has 13.8 mio followers and her videos have been viewed more than 3.8 bn times on social media. Lindsey Stirling believes – your faith moves mountains.
Lindsey Stirling Meet and Greet
A young fan on my right raised his hand and asked, “Lindsey, how do you deal with doubts and the negative voices in your head?” Meanwhile, she looked attentively at him and nodded in agreement. “You know, we all have these doubting voices. Just because you doubt doesn’t mean you can’t feel good. I doubt myself all the time. And I think I’ve become better at choosing which voices in my head I want to listen to. The beauty of it is that I no longer believe those negative voices because they constantly try to convince me that I’m not good enough, that no one believes in me, or that I’m not successful. These voices are in all our heads. Over time, I’ve become better at saying, ‘I don’t believe you’ and just continuing to do my thing. We always have the choice of who we listen to in our heads. Everything we give attention to becomes louder and louder, and you give more and more energy to these negative thoughts. But if you tell yourself, ‘I am good enough,’ ‘I am smart enough,’ ‘I am strong enough,’ then these positive voices become louder. It’s a matter of choice. I make this choice towards the positive every day, and it requires great care.” Lindsey smiled and placed the microphone back in her lap.
I AM GRÄTER
The next 150 minutes just fly by. I chat at the mulled wine stand with Neta Rivkin, possibly the most famous Israeli rhythmic gymnast who has participated in the Olympics three times. She and her friend ask me what I handed to Lindsey on the stage earlier. “My book ‘I AM GRÄTER,’ as she is very interested in personal development,” I reply with a smile. After a pretzel, nachos with salsa dip, and the start of the show, we have already reached the ninth song of this wonderful concert, which passes by in a flash.
Voices in your head
Lindsey walks to the microphone. “Some time ago, I was searching something on the internet, and out of nowhere, in the search results, there was the following headline: ‘Why Lindsey Stirling is a terrible violinist.’ Naturally, like any mature adult would do… I clicked on the article and read everything. And then I read hundreds of comments below it. It seemed to really interest people because they tore apart every little thing about me. My playing style, my intonation, even how poorly I hold the violin. It really hurt me a lot.”
Lindsey heart touching story
Lindsey’s eyes filled with tears, and she looked up. “I closed my laptop and went out with my dog to clear my head. As I walked a few meters down the street, I passed by my neighbor. We had only spoken a few times before, and in that moment, he said to me: ‘Hey, I really like what you’re doing.’ I smiled and thanked him, saying, ‘Thank you very much. It means a lot to me. Especially today.’
As I continued to walk, after a few meters, he called out to me again. ‘And you know what, I don’t mean the violin. What you’re doing is magical.’ I turned to him, and in that moment, time felt absolutely still for me. Because everything about that moment, his tone, the words he used, even his crooked smile, everything reminded me of someone. My father had that exact smile when he was absolutely thrilled about something and used the same words.” Lindsey’s voice began to break slightly. “You know, since I no longer have the opportunity to physically talk to my deceased father, I am absolutely sure that there are angels who repeatedly have certain messages for us.
Whether through the words of a person or other signs. We are never alone, no matter how lonely we may feel at times. They are all around us and help us in all sorts of life situations.” As the applause subsides and she begins to play “Angels We Have Heard On High,” a tear or two run down my cheek, which I cleverly wipe away under my blue glasses. You know, I do it at a height that no one assumes it’s a tear. Man’s tactic; wait until the tear is in the middle of the cheek, and then I reach for it.
Am I an angel?
In that moment, I am simply grateful for the beautiful moments that I get to experience every day on this wonderful planet. And many of them were unique encounters with angels, like with you. Because angels work not only through beings of light but also through people like you and me.
You are a superhero
Be aware of your radiance and importance to this universe every day. You are a gift to this world, no matter what the voices in your head tried to convince you of here and there until yesterday. You are great. You are priceless. You are absolutely valuable and an important part of carrying the good further into your surroundings. And I am proud that we are connected through this inspiration letter.
Merry Christmas to you superhero. Or should I say… to you angel.
