The Lens of Possibility

Ben Zander conducts the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. He travels across the world spreading eye-opening inspiration. He even wrote a book The Art of Possibility. in collaboration with his previous wife Rosamund Stone Zander. It contains many stories used in his TED talk. Zander changed the way I view the world and I’d love to share some key concepts with you.

Firstly, Zander opens his talk with an immediate lesson on perspective. He speaks of two shoe salesmen that traveled to Africa in the 1900s. They found that the people weren’t wearing shoes. The one salesman responds upset and calls back home saying there’s no chance for shoe sales. The other found glorious opportunity in the fact that no one had shoes! Our perception is our reality and Ben Zander’s anecdote about the shoe salesmen represents a greater message. How can you look on the brighter side of things in your everyday life?

Ben Zander makes a big claim during his talk as well. “No one is tone deaf.” How many times have you heard someone say to another person, “Gosh, you are so tone deaf.” I hear this every day, and because of this, people shy away from music and singing. Zander assures us that no one is tone deaf as he invites us to think about a phone call. When your mom calls, not only do you recognize her voice, but you know exactly what mood she’s in. You aren’t tone deaf and Ben Zander, one of the most widely recognized musicians in the world, is here to assure you.

After backing his claim, Zander takes us on a journey. He introduces classical music and that only 3% of the population is appreciative towards this style of music. He explains that classical musicians think if this number reached 4%, things would be so much better in the industry. Zander takes a different approach and asks, “What if everyone loved classical music?” He proceeds to brilliantly explain a piano piece from Chopin in a way that anyone can understand. Zander shows the audience that they understand what’s going on within the piece, and that they are innately wired to sense where the music is going. Once his explanation is done, he tells the audience to think about someone they love that has gone while he performs the piece. Their engagement and applause after is truly inspiring.

So yes, anyone can appreciate something if you explain it to them in a way they are receptive to. How fascinating is it that Zander was able to have these people appreciate a piece of music that they probably had no interest in beforehand? Take this message with you in your daily life. How can I explain this to someone in a way they’ll understand? This life is not a bubble of constraints, but instead a world of possibility. Live into it.