Today’s guest blog is written by Kim Shippey, avid reader of books and articles on spirituality, and Boston-based writer and editor. You can also read his columns in the Christian Science Sentinel, a weekly print and online publication.

Many of you will know the story about one of the America’s top violinists, Joshua Bell, who on a cold morning in January 2007 played some intricate Bach variations on his 3.5 million Stradivarius on a railway station platform in Washington, DC. In 45 minutes, only six people stopped long enough to drop a total of $32 into his violin case. Two nights before, Bell had filled a Boston concert hall, with seats averaging $100.

Even more remarkable–and helpful to me–were Bell’s remarks in a January 2012 issue of Newsweek magazine in which he described his performance as a 12-year-old in his first violin competition. He messed up worse than he could even have imagined. Not knowing the etiquette, he stopped completely, turned to the audience and said, “I’d really like to start over.” He just wanted to redeem himself. Continue reading →