Hi Friend,
Yesterday (Friday) was a really great day! The whole team was over for #ScrambledFriday. We beat around an idea we’ve been contemplating for the last couple of months. We landed on approach we’re going to put into motion in May. I’m sure I’ll give you the full scoop the closer we get.
Last night I saw the Killers in concert. I love them. I saw them at the Zoo Amphitheater a few years ago and it was my all-time favorite concert. Last night was awesome too. Not as good, simply because of the venue. They didn’t perform many of their newer songs from the last two albums, which I thought was curious. Brandon the lead singer, knows how to put on a show though!
I shot several insta-stories. I watched a few this morning. I can hear myself singing along loud and bad. I love it! Last month when I saw Bruce Springsteen in concert, I could only sing along to about four songs. As you know, I enjoyed that show, but this one I loved! I suspect some of that is because I got to participate. I threw my fist in the air and pretended to be a lead singer right in the audience.
Surprisingly I wasn’t the only one doing that. Everyone around me was doing the same thing. Heck, we were so good at it, often Brandon would just stop singing and let us do it for him. I don’t imagine we’ll be compensated. Weirdly I was happy to be doing his work for him.
Contribution = Joy
Singing along connected me both with the band on stage and my fellow audience crowd. Being unified is invigorating. During the opening act some guys behind us were talking loud and constantly. David eventually turned around and asked them to stop. It seems kind of funny to shish someone at a concert, but it’s because they weren’t in sync with what was happening on stage. They didn’t care about the Lemon Twigs, so they disregarded them and all of us.
Rallying around a common passion unites strangers. Disregarding shared vision divides friends. Have you ever known someone who flagrantly resists moving towards vision? Whether at work, home, church, sports team or community service, when an individual rebels against what we’re all trying to accomplish, it’s jarring. Have you ever been that person?
The delight that comes when unique and diverse personalities agree to endeavor towards a common outcome is thrilling. Have you ever found yourself surrounded by people who were nothing like you, but had consolidated to achieve a particular goal? We don’t become homogenized, we become integrated.
Alignment = Strength
In both our personal and professional relationships we find ourselves discontent when we are at odds with future aspirations. On occasion I may become frustrated with a present situation/person because of misalignment about prospective hopes and timelines. Do you experience such dissonance from time to time? I wonder how you and I could find the melody line to sing along with or at least harmonize so we can stay in tune with those around us.
Instigating Ideas…
1. Go to a concert!
2. Where do you need to work to create alignment?
3. Who can you invite to contribute to your life and work?
4. Are you out of tune with someone? Make it right.
Live music energizes my soul. It’s not just the band, but the audience. As a speaker, I’ve said for years how significant an engaged audience is to contributing to me doing an excellent job.
I sing along to songs at home all the time when they are blaring on the Sonos. To sing along with strangers is a whole other experience, that I love even more. Joining together with other bad singers never sounded so beautiful or felt so amazing.
Willingness = Fulfillment
Whether wrestling an idea with our team or singing loudly with strangers, our enthusiasm to be in it, however uncomfortable or challenging, will ALWAYS generate a sense of contentment because we give ourselves fully. That freedom is only available for those of us ready to lift our voice taking our place as contributors!
I hope this week you willingly align and contribute with others who are moving forward towards an important goal. The value resides in the concert – the process that enables us to go after vision – the concerted effort. Rock on…
