They’re unfolding right now, as you’re reading this, as I’m writing this. Be on the look out…but you might have to look a little harder. Miracles are happening, currently.
“There are miracles at work”- A Head Full Of Dreams, Coldplay
The lonely work that no one else notices or cares about, but also often results in the biggest strides forward.
We’ve done it, but we don’t like it.
We’ve done it, but wish someone would notice.
We’ve done it, but wish we didn’t have to.
We’ve done it, and knew in our hearts it was meaningful work.
We’ve done it, and knew that it was important regardless of recognition.
We’ve done it, and knew it mattered.
So why is the hope to not have to do the thankless work? The hope that one day this kind of work will finally go away, once and for all.
Or the hope that we could do the thankless, meaningful work and, by some multi dimensional cosmic shift, be thanked for thankless work….by lots of people.
Why do we wish we won’t have to do THAT kind of work again?
What if we looked for the thankless, meaningful work?
A bunch of years ago I lived with the guys I was in a rock n roll band with. Along with a few others. There was seven of us total. It was totally awesome.
Back in those days we were touring a lot on the weekends. Leaving town Thursday or Friday and getting back late Sunday night.
One particular Sunday night we got back to Nashville late and we were all super tired, so we unloaded all the gear into the garage and went to bed.
We usually would load the gear into the house.
We usually would remember to close the garage door at night.
There was usually always someone awake in that house!
There’s a couple more chapters to this story (very crazy and entertaining, as we almost got the gear back…almost), but here’s the saving grace…
We had insurance.
We were each spending $12.50 per month to have $10,000 worth of gear coverage.
We might have been poor musicians and definitely weren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer, but we paid a few bucks for insurance and it made all the difference.
The subsequent month of touring we had to borrow gear from friends, but after that we all got insurance checks and got to go shopping.
If you haven’t played 150-200 shows, say yes to everything.
If you have played 200 gigs…
Only say yes to the shows that you’ll give everything to.
Only say yes to the shows that it’s worth to hire the good players for.
Only say yes to the shows that you’re actually going to care enough to lead the crowd.
Only say yes to the shows that it make sense to bring your sound guy (who, right now you only bring sometimes…..if the show isn’t important enough to bring your sound guy who makes you sound good, why are you playing it?)
Only say yes to the shows as they are in accordance with your larger plan.
Only say yes to the shows that aren’t in January.
Only say yes to the shows where you are willing to do something better than you did the show before.
Only say yes to the shows where there will for sure be at least two of the following: great crowd, great food, great money, great exposure, great networking, great weather, great purpose.
Only say yes to the shows that you are willing to own the spotlight of the stage, crank up certain knobs of your personality and character, and whole heartedly embrace the responsibility of serving an audience in the way that only you can.
