I woke up this morning in the best of moods: the sun was out, the wind calming, and I felt a cool breeze. Indeed, in my mind, I was "blessed and highly favored." How could this day get any worse? I live with my sister.
I've learned to realize what matters. Many things don't. When you can tune out the noise and focus on what needs focus, amazing things happen.
The problem is that when we get ahead of life, we have to always look back and retrace our steps. That's not efficient. The solution is to let life get ahead of you.
My father would tell me, as a kid, "God and 'me' make a majority." He would later come to regret imparting this advice.
If you're going to introduce a new product to the market, having access to the market is critical. Being able to connect others to your product or service leads to increased business. My problem was not the access; my problem was that I was aware others did not have the access I had.
When I used to be a bandleader, I had a terrible reputation as being a hard ass. I was. I dedicated my entire self and soul to the music I performed. I expected no less from those playing with me. That was my problem. My expectations did not allow for mistakes.
If you know me, you know that lawyers raised me, two of them. It's almost like the wolf pack raising Mowgli. My parents bred me to be a fighter. I don't like this quality about myself. Well, no, I like it in balance.
The only failure I know is the failure to embrace failure.
I keep my kindergarten diploma on my wall. I do it as a reminder that the most effective ways of being are the simplest ways of being — no need to overcomplicate the simple. Everything you need, you learned in Kindergarten.
On Impressions
"The best impressions are when people expect them the least." - John Brady
Why Be Average?
I hypothesized that bands that differentiate themselves from the others, have a clear customer focus, will have more bookings per year than others. I believe I am right. Here's why.
For you to create value, you must be able to see - empathize - with the venue and their patrons. In this post, I share a few strategies that might work.
Play the music that may not artistically fulfill you. Don't play the gig for yourself. Serve others who came to receive from you an answer to their problems. Be their answer.
They Don't Try to Suck.
If you are like so many other leaders, consider using the sentence I suggested. Take a step to see a bandmate's problem and invest the time to be an answer. Empathy helps.
You're a Cog
In the end analysis, a lack of "empathy" kept me from getting the things I had seen others receive, and worse, ruined relationships. You might be a cog now, but you don’t have to be.
Grant Yourself Some Grace
To be empathetic is to be able to put yourself in someone else's shoes. To be able to see and accept their present - their truth. Grace is your ability to be thankful for the present.
"He who begins to be your friend because it pays will also cease because it pays." - Seneca
To create a culture that lasts several years, and hopefully, through to this day, took more than several smart people sitting in a room. It involved our ability to tell our own stories, share the story of our team, and share what we hope to achieve and how we intend to do it. Then, we could share our mission with those that could connect with the others.
Find others like you. But not just any "others," find the ones that love to move around and sharing what they know with others. Try not to find those that huckster themselves as "connectors." They're not worth the time and effort. Find people that want to share with others because they want to help people.
If you want to create an epidemic, generously share your stories, and serve others. Give your tribe something bigger than themselves to believe. And whatever you do, make sure your message is simple enough to stick! If people can't remember it, they can't carry the word to others like them.