You Want To Become A Truly Unique Band?

If all you’re doing when you’re out on the road is driving, eating, sound checking, playing and then driving again…you’re missing out. Relationally, in life, in growth.

You have some laughs, confer on the setlist, ask what the other person wants to eat…but come on, these are the people you are WITH.  These are the people you’ve chosen to be with, and the people you’re with are the people you will learn about life through.

They can nurture you, you can nurture them.

Will you?

Some might boil this idea down to “you have to be a good hang”.  But that’s not at all what I’m talking about.

I’m talking about taking initiative and responsibility for deep connection with the people you’re spending all this time with.

And we all know, on the road…you’ve got the time.

Musicians are so good at talking about themselves and yet so sparse in vulnerability.

Dig deeper, care more, listen with your heart (not your head).  There is life here.

You want to become a truly unique band?

Love one another. Get to know one another, truly.  Grow together.

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

The Scenario Cinema

My friend George defines procrastination as “refusing to turn off the scenario cinema often expressed as “But, what if…?””

There is a time and place to ask But What If (I don’t care how you define the time and place, it just needs a definite start time and a definite end time), but it’s not a time and place to live inside.

Cloaking procrastination in But What If just gives it an intellectual flair.  You don’t have to admit you’re insisting on being stuck.  You get to tell yourself and others you’re not not doing anything, you’re “getting to the bottom of it” “turning over every stone” “making sure” “seeking reassurance”.

Don’t get caught in this scenario cinema.  It’s been a silent killer of many great artists and bands.

p.s. The time and place you carve out to ask But What If is absolutely important.  The bigger the implication/consequences of the decision, project, plan, the more weight and consideration will be given to the But What If’s.  But then, when the defined time is up and everyone has been heard…You will have to make a decision and MOVE.


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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Complete The Line...

I want to be highly successful and big and famous, but through it all, the whole point is to…

The reason I will become highly successful and big and famous is…

The main way in which I hold myself back is…

The thing I do most consistently is…

When I walk into a room, the room gets more…

These sentences can be finished millions of different ways and in millions of different contexts.  

How fearless will you be in completing these sentences?

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Just Do It

Nobody can deliver the way you can. The timidness (timidity?), fear and anxiety about that next step…just bring them along with you, but you need to get up and GO.

When is the best time? NOW is the best time.

The way your imagination runs wild at night with all the possibilities, all the ways you’ll handle yourself in different situations, all the dreams of “One day…”, all the musings of “If we could just…”

YOU need to rev the engines NOW.

You are the one who leads the charge.  Whether you’re the type who leads from the drivers seat or the passenger seat, we need you to step up and do it.

A plan? You already know what to do, at least what to do for today.  

Do not waste any more time.

Just do it.

 


p.s. It’s interesting that Nike’s phrase isn’t simply “Do It”.  “Do It” is too open ended. DO what?  There are a million things to do.

The “Just”, brings the “Do It” into focus.  Written in long form, Just Do It means “You Already Know What You Need To Do, Now Go Do It”.  The short form, while easier to digest, is also easier to overlook.


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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Knowing Where To Go

Knowing where to go turns you from an outsider into an insider.

When you show up at a venue you’ve played before, it feels good when you don’t have to ask where load in is, where the green room is, what coffee shops are within walking distance.

Familiarity on the road breeds confidence, confidence consistency, consistency reliability, reliability trust, trust…a long career.

Not too bad for just knowing where the bathrooms are going to be.

On the other hand…not knowing where to go turns you from an insider to a question asker, a question asker to a connector, a connector to a helper, a helper to a reliable source, reliable source into a trusted source, trust…a long career.

Embrace the inside.

Embrace the outside.

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

To Be Where There’s Life

We all know it when we’re there, when we experience it.

We’ve all been there before.

When there’s not only lots of people in the room, but the spirit is weaving between everyone too.

When you’re on your own, and the spirit is weaving inside you too.

True life, true presence has a magnetic pull.

We all long to not only be alive, but to be where there’s life.

There wasn’t a whole lot of magnetic pull happening on the Grammy’s last night…I was hoping there would be (and in the Grammy’s defense, the last few years’ shows have been pretty legit, so a dull year is forgivable).

But that didn’t matter…there was life in our living room, new life, our sweet little baby girl’s first night at home in our living room.

Oh to be where there’s life.

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I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com