I was so worried about what people would think of me. How I sounded, how I looked, whether I seemed smart enough. None of it left room for me to actually be myself.

Making music was never like that. From a very young age, it was about connecting heart to heart with people in a way that didn't need words at all. I could just be me, and that was enough. It didn't matter whether I was playing at Carnegie Hall or in my grandparents' living room.

The miracle happened when I realized speaking could work the same way. My presence mattered more than the words I chose or how polished I sounded. The moment I stopped performing and learned to let myself relax and just be me, that same energy that moved through my violin started moving through me when I spoke too.

The key is to let the creative spirit move through the mind-body-self first, which allows audiences to be moved in turn.

Where are you still performing instead of just being yourself?