Dave Grohl’s agent called and asked if he was sitting down – the universal sign that a bomb is about to drop. Fear and anxiety ripe as the Foo Fighters’ frontman held the phone to his ear.
His agent went on, “The Academy Awards called. They want you to perform Blackbird by yourself on the show this year.”
Grohl described an immense level of terror as he imagined trying not to screw up the intricate fingerpicking of Paul McCartney’s classic track as millions of people tuned in live from around the world.
“It was an immeasurable honour…but deep down, I was scared,” commented Grohl.
Grohl had actually played Blackbird on stage before. It was for his daughter’s third grade talent show. He played guitar and his daughter who had never sung in public was on the mic. He recalls immense pride in her courage – and said:
“Courage is a defining factor in the life of an artist. The courage to bare your innermost feelings, to reveal your true voice, or to stand in front of an audience and lay it out there for the world to see.”
Having initially decided to decline the Academy Award’s offer, his eventual acceptance was driven by the realisation that he had to show his daughter he possessed the same courage she displayed at her talent show. Not to mention proving it to himself.
Fear is contextual. For Grohl, it took the thought of millions of eyes on him playing a Beatles song to create a rising wave of anxiety. For us, it might be the fear of rejection sharing an idea in a meeting, no one reading our blog if we post it, or conflict if we share an opposing opinion.
Regardless of the trigger, if we can find the courage to step forward authentically, even with all the worries about what people might think, magic can happen.
Part of Short Tales of Psychology—a series about interesting humans and the psychological lessons we can apply to enhance our mental wellbeing and optimise performance.
