Meet Zachary Tate Smith

We recently connected with Zachary Tate Smith and have shared our conversation below.

Zachary Tate, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

Thinking back to the times when I have felt most at home in my own skin–most alive–there is a common thread of childlike, self-forgetful joy. That time I stood breathless on the edge of the grand canyon for the first time as the sun set. When I was surfing and felt the awe-inspiring power of the waves roll beside me and underneath me. In moments like these, my joy is found in being surprisingly invited into a deeper, greater beauty. My job often puts me on stages in front of groups of people, which comes with inherent dangers to one’s sense of self. “Do they approve of me?” “Am I impressive enough?” “Do they *still approve of me?” Even if I find an affirmative answer to these questions in a given moment, the next moment can take it away just as easily. Rather, I find that I am most confident, most at ease in myself when I am directing my attention to the deeper, greater Beauty. When I am in this posture, I am no longer showing up to this group of people with an empty cup, just hoping they can fulfill my need for approval. Instead, I can show up and be a source of generosity to others. Children are far more proficient at joyfully losing themselves in celebrating the beauty in a moment. As I grow older, I think I am slowly trying to recover that.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

These days, my wife and I are most busy with our two amazing, wild kiddos. Artistically, I get the joy of continuing to create and share music with our band As Isaac (now in our 15th year!), as well as getting to produce music projects for ourselves and other artists in our new studio. Vocationally, I get to serve with an amazing group of people at my local church (The Chapel Cleveland) with our music and production teams.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I can’t think of anything that has benefited me more than a willingness to ask for help and wisdom. There are a handful of artists, producers, and mentors that have been so kind to bear with my questions. While I am a relentless self-learner and researcher, nothing replaces the way learning in community catalyzes our growth. Likewise, being willing to teach and pass along the wisdom you do have to others is not only a way of passing along that generosity, but also deepening your own understanding of a subject or discipline.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

Traditionally, I have always thought of all limitations as things to be overcome. However, I have recently been learning to appreciate the freedom found in accepting that certain limitations I have are not only unavoidable, but are a gift. For example, I can only be physically in one place at one time. I am not omnipresent. I have limited time, limited knowledge and gifts, and limited capacity. There are plenty of limitations that are absolutely meant to be overcome through persistence and hard work. However, me striving against the fact that I can only be one place at a time is not a virtue, it’s a vice and an unbearable pressure. This helps me to prioritize, realizing that I cannot be everything for everyone all the time.

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Matt Morrison

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