Sustainability

You’ve had enough mountain top experiences to know that the emotion of that experience doesn’t last.

It’s vital to have the victories. It’s vital to celebrate the victories. But the high always wears off…and you’re left with…

Whatever the real foundation is.

Do you like each other and want to be around each other? Is there a clear, shared vision? How does that translate to motivation in the good and bad times?

The reality you live in while not experiencing a big victory is a good indicator of sustainability.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

What Makes Happy Work?

When you don’t wish away the set of problems that are sure to come your way while working your position.

If this isn’t the case for you, you either need new problems or new wishes.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Commands

‘Hey Siri play Movin’ Out by Billy Joel’.

And Siri does it. Similarly, if I told you to play Movin’ Out by Billy Joel you could easily complete the command.

But as the song is fading out I say, ‘play other songs where the drums groove hard, help the guitar line feel good and sometimes crash on the two’.

You, me and Siri have a much harder time with this one.

Groove hard, feel good and sometimes (especially in combination) are not found by facts and algorithms. They’re found by an intuitive sense for what the other person might mean at the time of the request.

And when we can do this for someone else it’s truly magical.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Freddie And You

You’ve heard Bohemian Rhapsody a thousand times.

But if you sit down for a couple hours with the goal of writing something as catchy and iconic as Bohemian Rhapsody you’ll realize the difficulty. That agony and frustration and creative torment…you’ll realize how far away you are from Freddie. (And you’ll be reminded that hearing greatness doesn’t equate with writing greatness.)

Here’s the thing…At some point Freddie went through that same agony and frustration and creative torment. He wasn’t above it. And you are not beneath him. 

The difficulty is a sign you’re at an important part of the journey.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

No Reason At All

When you have the beach trip coming up, you get busy on those ab workouts.

When company is coming over, you clean up the house pretty good.

When the important people are in the audience, you put the big effort into the performance.

Big reasons provide great inspiration and motivation to do things that benefit everyone involved.

But what about after the big reason passes and you can’t find another one?

At some point the big reasons run out and then all you’re left with is your own quiet decisions.

Why are you working out or cleaning up or putting in a huge effort? ‘No reason at all’ other than that’s what I’m deciding to do, that’s how I’m going to live my life.

Big reasons run out. The power of your decisions does not.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

That Good

If you find an artist and they blow you away you are going to follow them. It’s too magical to ignore. Whether you see them in a club or opening up for a big act or hear them on a playlist or in your friends car…if an artist is that good you can’t help but want more.

And if you’re the artist…

This is where your focus must be…to be THAT good. All the other time spent chasing deals and favors and the political shenanigans in the business is a waste if you can’t deliver.

Great songs and a great performance. Build that. You don’t have to wait for anyone.

Thanks to Eric for the reminder.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple