Not Normal

Have you ever noticed that some of the greatest sources for inspiration, ideas and ways of thinking and seeing life, happen when you least expect it?nnAnd when that happens it’s pretty cool, huh?nnWell guess what: There’s a trick to being acutely tuned-in to a higher level of receptivity?nnOK, it’s not really a “trick.” It’s more about being less judgmental … and more of living in a state of wonderment … and more of seeking understanding of how the world works … and more of searching for oneness with who you are as human being.nnWhoa, sorry, didn’t mean to get too heavy too early on here. So let me lay some groundwork.nnSo, I was at the Eagles concert this past Memorial Day weekend at the new Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. In case you’re only familiar with Newark because of its airport, I’ll give you some fodder for idle conversation next time you’re at a cocktail party. In 1996 Newark was ranked “The Most Dangerous City in the Nation.” (I guess the reason why the Prudential Center is the new home for the N.J. Devils, is because nobody messes with hockey players.) But for the record, over the last two years Newark has seen a rapid decline in murders and, obviously, I made it out of there alive.nnIt’s hard not to like the Eagles. In my opinion, (easy, I’m just one guy) they are cumulatively the most talented group of rock musicians to ever be in the same band. Of course, there were the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and I’m sure you can think of others and will send me emails reminding me, which is cool. But to experience Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh all on the same stage makes for an amazing amount of talent and a great show, every time. (And, I know about Don Felder, but he hasn’t been around for years and who’s ever heard of him anyway?)nnIn case you’re wondering, this FYI isn’t a promo for the Eagles. They’re selling plenty of CDs and concert tickets without the help of Eric Taylor.nnWhat the Eagles concert — and especially Joe Walsh — gave me on the night of the show was a great source of inspiration and confirmation about stepping-out and sharing my gift with the world.nnSo I’m going to do just that - right now: You and I have a gift that has been bestowed upon us, in my opinion, (again, I’m just one guy) by a higher power. Your gift and your uniqueness is something you should not take lightly … ever take for granted … or minimize. And it’s something that you should share with the world.nnAnd here’s the added bonus: The world is actually waiting for you to share your gift with it. Your unique energy, insight and light are a source of power that other people need.nnDo you believe it?nnIt’s absolutely true.nnI don’t know what your gift is. But you do. And if for some reason you haven’t discovered it yet, you will. I know what my gift is and I am committed to sharing it with whoever wants to receive it. Those who don’t want to receive it never have to accept it, and that’s okay too. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. So does the gift.nnSo, I’m watching the concert, and of course with all of the individual talent that’s on the stage, each band member is featured at certain times. Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh have all had major hits from their solo efforts.nnIf you were at the show you might have noticed, as I did, Joe Walsh rocked the house and seemed like the crowd favorite. The night I was there he stole the show as the dominant individual artist. His hits like, “In the City,” “Rocky Mountain Way” and “Life’s Been Good” brought the house down. He also played a song called “Funk 49? which he wrote when he was with The James Gang. It’s just a flat-out rocking funk-fusion tune, its cool and one of my personal favorites.nnBut, it was during “Life’s Been Good” that I had this “WOW!” moment. And for me, this one visual of the 2008 Memorial Day weekend show will stand out in my mind as one of my most memorable Eagles’ shows I’ve ever attended. Mainly because of the take-away, the insight, and the a-ha moment.nnFYI Takeaway: During Joe’s “Life’s Been Good” performance I had two major thoughts.nn•· The first thought was, “Yea, life has been good to me so far; I’m easily having my Best Year Ever! and things are really rocking at warp speed.”nn•· The second thought — and the title for this FYI — came to me as I was watching the video playing behind Joe as he was performing. It was showing clips of him in his early years with the band. Excerpts from concerts, scenes from backstage and on the road were flashing on the screen. But one clip clearly stood out for me.nnJoe was wearing a white T-shirt, and on the front, in big, black, bold letters were the words –nnNOT NORMALnnAfter I finished cracking up seeing him wear a t-shirt declaring himself as NOT NORMAL, I immediately looked out over18,000 people rocking to this self-proclaimed NOT NORMAL guy and I thought “COOL”.nnIf you’re familiar with Joe Walsh and have seen him perform with his “helmet-cam,” then you know as well as I do that Joe is NOT NORMAL!nnIs he fun, off-the-wall, beyond exceptional on the guitar, creative, mega-talented, living a life full of challenges and successes? YES!nnConsidered normal? NO!nnThat picture, with those words on his T-shirt got me thinking and asking -nn“What is normal?” And who and what define normal anyway?nnThen I started to think about people who have lead extraordinary lives. I quickly realized that many of them weren’t/aren’t considered normal either.nnI started running a list in my mind of NOT NORMAL people who have a big life or have a left a legacy. The list is much too long for this FYI and I’m certain I would have received a ton of emails of the people I left out.nnFYI IDEA IN ACTION: Try it and you’ll quickly think of plenty of the people, in a multitude of genres, who are super-successful, yet considered NOT NORMAL.nnAll of sudden I was caught up in worrying about being normal.nnI didn’t want to ever be considered normal again.nnIs that normal? I don’t know… but I guess that now I hope it’s not.nnHow about you? Are you considered normal?nnSo, I offer you the same challenge that Joe’s T-shirt and the words NOT NORMAL posed for me. Like you, I want the most out of my life. I want more… I want to contribute more … I want to earn more … I want to learn more … I want to love more … and I want to play full-out everyday.nnBut here’s the challenge: Are thoughts of being judged and the fear of failure holding me back in any area? What if I didn’t care about “normal” — what anyone thought? What might I go for? What if, by not worrying about what’s “normal,” I knew I couldn’t fail?nnDo you play it safe to be accepted? Do you follow the herd or the norm? Do you worry and wonder what people will think? Have you ever wondered why?nnIn your heart do you feel like following another path or marching to the beat of a different drum?nnI want to leave you with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson (one of my favorite philosophers).nn“Do not go where the path may lead,nngo instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”nnAnd one last thought: May you be NOT NORMAL.nnGo Out and Make This Your Best Year Ever!