Hear The Music!

I have to hear it. A lot. Almost constantly to survive, thrive and be productive.

Every time I get dry, every time without exception, I think about why and realize I haven't been listening to as much music. This has been an issue I have experienced for decades.

It is like I have some musical gas tank that approaches E then I realize it, fill the tank, and off I go again.

I told a friend and colleague that I didn't know what to do next, I had no ideas.

Seemed dismal. 

The problem is I can’t recognize it early, like say when I am at half a tank, so I can "fill 'er up" and prevent everyone the consequences of my resulting depression and lack of productivity. 

Go figure! 

I went through a dry patch recently, had no ideas on how to help my company, my staff and family. I didn't write or post much, which is a form of therapy for me.

For me, ideas are my life's blood so this was particularly painful.

I then went on a musical bender listening, consuming and basically gobbling up as much Neil Young, CSNY, Jackson Browne, Marc Knophler and Allison Kraus (to name a few) as I could get. 

We went and saw Jackson Browne and Marc Knophler live and sat in the front row for each show. What a special treat it was when Bruce Springsteen came out and played the encore songs with Jackson Browne.

Funny, Browne plays 2 hours of near flawless music and the people appreciate it with applause. However, when Bruce comes out the place explodes and fans from their twenties to seventies get a crazed look in their eyes and scream BRUUUUUUUUCE!  

My wife and I actually felt sorry for Browne on this night. Here he is playing his song on stage with Bruce and it is like Browne didn't even know the words...he looked lost in his own song. The story goes it was Springsteen’s birthday and he went to the show to celebrate. Turns out he stole the show in all of the final ten minutes. That's the way it is here in Springsteen country in central New Jersey.

During my recent musical binge I drove my family crazy. At other times I have had the neighbors call the police on me. The squad car usually rolls into our driveway and the cops always politely ask me to turn down the music. We have speakers all over the yard so I can really light it up. I have legitimately disturbed the peace on several times, just a crazy 55 year old still refusing to abide by the rules. They are always really nice to me as I likely have a very focused and peaceful look on my face. Just a guy trying to find my way down the’ long and winding road’. Kind of pales in comparison to the bad guys they have to confront daily, heroine abuse is at epidemic proportions in this part of the state, so some old rocker making some noise just doesn't rank. 

 It feels like the tank is full right now, having continued my stupor through Christmas week and New Years as well.  This is a good time of the year to have a full tank...as we enter the new year, those of us in business development get to start from zero once again and market and sell our way to some number only Superman could reach but which our investors feel is motivating. Funny, I never thought fear of failure or failure itself motivated me at all, in fact I have found it to be un-motivating.

That's a subject for another post if it hasn’t been already. I just can't remember, I am too busy trying to figure out how we can take our company to the next level in 2016. Here's to a successful new year to everyone!

My Best,