I was a musician for the last 10 years and decided to try something else this year. Ever since I can remember I’ve been a man on a mission. Even music was just a tool for me. A way to express myself, my truth. For a long time I didn’t even know what that truth was, I just knew that it was trying to get out.
As the years went by and I gathered life experiences, I began to understand what it is that I was trying to express. I also realised that music was not the best vehicle to do that. That was also the reason I didn’t really succeed in music because I was never really interested in promoting my music. I just wanted to express my ideas and see if I can influence others with them. And if not, was it because I suck at influencing or because my message was wrong. It was always a sort of experiment, a test to see whether something worked or not.
I thought I wanted to be this world famous rock star, making albums in expensive studios with great musicians and then touring the world, selling t-shirts and saying “good evening” and “thanks for coming” and trying to be cool and original. Repeat this on an endless loop until you’re ready to release your autobiography. And then get back together with “the guys” who you kind of fell out with due to financial reasons. You were young and greedy. Now you’re all family men and nearing death. You just wannq rock with your old pals. You get a new album out. Reunion. Play the old hits. People love it, especially the fans who are also now old and with families. You close your eyes when you sing those songs you wrote when you were broke and desperate. Oh and lets not forget the rehab and AA.
What a fucking cliche.
I’ve read a lot of music biographies and basically the story is always the same. I don’t want to live like that. It has become just another pre-programmed path, like anything else.
I want to be a true artist who uses art as a tool to not only express himself but change the world. That means I have to go beyond my image as a musician and become an entrepreneur because lets face it, they’re the only ones changing anything. Even the musicians that become influential is because of the stuff they’re doing behind the scenes. I’m not saying music can’t change the world, I think it can but most of it is just another escape FROM the world.
And I’ve been trying to take a break or even quit music for many years now but somehow I always get pulled back in because it’s an easy way to make money for me. Play for a few hours somewhere and make more than most people make in a week. People get excited and say things like “how come you’re not famous man” or “you should go on The Voice”. And then I get excited too and the rock star ambitions are re-ignited, I get the social media going, make a new album, write new stuff and it starts to take away my whole focus and it’s all about me, me, me.
It’s 2017. This year I am taking a complete break from music. I would rather not even listen to it but unfortunately that’s unavoidable sometimes when in social situations. If I had more freedom (financially) I would minimise those situations. I just prefer silence these days or listening to podcasts or something educational. I’m also sick getting high on emotions that music produces in the body. That’s why I also quit all other drugs and stimulants. Eating clean, staying calm, meditation, yoga, deep work, writing. I feel more strong and powerful coming from a place of calm rather than this pumped up, overly excited Tony Robbins style state. I’m sure Tony is right that when we get into this energetic state, it’s easier to make an impact because people want to feel more alive. I’m sure that applies to most people because they are addicted to feeling that way and in our culture, being calm and doing nothing and “embracing the void” is for some reason avoided at all costs. In spirituality, especially the eastern methods, this calm stillness is the ultimate state. That’s where the real high is.
But Tony is basically a rock star without the music. I think it can be a great way to get someone to make big changes who’s truly stuck in life but I feel that I am beyond that. I know what I want, who I want to be and my life is on a path that will produce the results I’m looking for. I no longer need Tony Robbins or U2 to make me “feel good”. I also think there is a risk here to get stuck on “feel good” and then give up when you feel like shit.
I say forget about how you feel. Live your life for something higher. Feel things on an earthly level, not just your own body. Can you feel the pain of humanity? Has there ever been a truly collective celebration where every single human being on earth is clothed, fed, educated, loved and healed? Imagine what kind of event THAT would be. And I’m sure Tony and Bono would agree with me but why not focus on that more. Where are the books on that. The self help programs. The grammy winning songs and albums. Where is that message. And I don’t mean just Imagine All the people but I mean, lets fucking do it. Lets sell our mansions, lets stop making movies and albums and flying in private jets for a few years. Lets stop selling shit and become pilgrims! Lets walk with the poor. Lets not stay in our western countries and communities and complain that all those refugees are invading OUR land. And this goes for Sam Harris too. This country belongs to no one. We should all be free to travel on our home planet where we please.
Lets go to the poorest nations and bring them food and education. Serve and feed. Not military. Not violence. But peace and love.
It’s time to bring all the so-called charities together under one umbrella. Not just every person living for themselves, caring about their own little tribes.
We have to expand our ideas. Widen the circumference of the circle in which we include each other. The fact is, the earth is a closed system. You leave, you die. So that is the only true border.
Unity.
THAT is my message and I am dedicating the rest of my life to expressing that message and putting it into practise. I will learn and grow and understand it more and more. I will become a world renowned expert on unity. The family of life. Where science and religion meet. Where ISIS and America and Russia and China find common ground and see that we are all just inhabitants of a far greater power. Trying to survive and live a good life. Lets be well nourished and calm before we start talking about the after life or life in space.
I want to make earth into the home it already is. Maybe I will only help 1% but at least I tried. I know that if nobody even tries then there is 0% chance of it happening.
So I want to be that 1% and if enough of us come together on this great journey, maybe we can even make it 2%.
This is nothing new. Maybe it’s the biggest cliche of all. But I feel in every cell of my body how much we all need it. We all want it. Nobody really wants to fight and blow up people.
Humanity is a species of peace. Not war, not violence. Not aggression. Those are behaviours that manifest when we are in a corner, like any animal. That’s why we have to create a garden and nourish it every day.
It all starts with ourselves, our bodies, our minds., our thoughts, our ideas. Are we bringing in peace to this moment, this conversation, this day, this week, this year? How can we improve our own lives 1%?
Just start with 1%.
It is always better than nothing.
