119,450 Miles From Earth

Sending a space ship 119,450 miles above the Earth’s surface. That’s a long way. Quite an achievement. At one point n the 1960’s it would have been the marvel of modern technology. A true milestone. A wild, risky, crazy goal.

While this is true…119,450 miles is only half the distance to the moon.

There was never a goal of making it half way to the moon.


Artists often equate managing expectations with lowering them. Making the goal smaller so there’s less chance of failure and letdown and looking silly.

The good thing about the moon is what a clear goal it was. Everyone could see it and understand. We want to stand on that thing up there. So while getting half way was a necessary stepping stone, there was no confusion of what half way meant. Which was: we haven’t achieved the goal yet.

Half way isn’t the goal.

Don’t manage your goals and expectations by lessening them, manage them by making them more clear for everyone to see and understand.

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

The Details...

The details weren’t meant to be famous.

We’d all like to be known for the details, the little building blocks of brilliance that we see and remember so clearly as the difference makers.

You get famous because of the details, but probably aren’t going to be famous for the details.

We want people to celebrate our details. They mean so much to us. But consistently putting your brilliance into the details is what will cause that simple breakthrough that you become famous for.

***I’m not saying your details weren’t meant to be shared. Shared is different than famous.

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

Nightcap 19

Every time I start a new tube of toothpaste I think there is no way I will ever use all of this.

The person who watches a football game and the person who watches that same football again are very different people.

Saying “It’ll be fun” helps it be fun.

The new thing seems to be to tell someone how little you get on Facebook just before you tell them about something you saw on Facebook.

The video on my iPhone is amazingly clear when talking with someone a thousand miles away, and yet security cameras remain blurry and bad at catching the bad guys.

For most of history there was no way to actually see yourself.

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

Morning Delivery

There’s a saying in personal finance: you’re the boss of your budget until you’re done with it and then it becomes the boss of you.

Same thing with your songs.

So building a budget or a song, build wisely so later you have a good boss.

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

Can Slow and Steady Be Trendy?

The quick rise, flash in the pan is great for Instagram and your upcoming family reunion…and just as fleeting.

Slow and steady wasn’t made for Instagram…until the 10 year challenge becomes the trend (the flash in the pan) of the moment.

The people you haven’t heard from in a while are probably the people who are getting things done.

See, the ‘steady’ part doesn’t allow for very much artificial/perceived success. Why take the time to photograph or share fake success when you could be working on the real thing? Steady is concerned with reality, strategy, goals and what the very next step is.

***Something I really love about post-holidays is hearing friends’ stories about being home for the holidays and having to explain to friends and family (yet again) what they’re working on and what they do for a living in a way that sounds like a smart life choice.

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

Next Question Please pt. 2

Another path is that you actually want the same questions asked over and over because repetition or a particular cohesiveness is important to getting your message out across the board.

If that’s what you want, then it’s your job as the artist to answer the questions with just as much vigor as the the first time you were asked them and maybe add some frills and frosting along the way just because.

If we’re listening to an interview for entertainment we want new material.

If we’re listening to an interview to change our minds we need repetition.

As the interviewee, you have a huge hand in deciding what the interview is for.

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