Just Plain Quotes:
My Take:
Mindy McCready was a country artist who recently killed herself. A sad result in a sad life. Success in music (or anything), loads of money, fame etc. all have very little or nothing to do with happiness. In fact sudden fame, success and/or money seems as likely than not to make existing troubles you have bigger and worse. It exaggerates them and as your notoriety or financial power grows, your problems can grow right along with it. Winning the lottery metaphorically or literally doesn't mean you'll keep it from ruining you. If you are miserable in life before you get those things, odds are you'll be more miserable when you get them and it's nearly assured to get worse if you suddenly lose them.
For the famous, loss of privacy can make all their faults and flaws front page news to a mass of people envious and champing at the bit to see you fail. Media most of all LOVES the chance to create a star and then destroy them once they have reached the top, cheering in both directions for ratings sake. The media machine feeds the rise to fame and fame feeds the media's drive to help you fall faster, and rather than catch you, they film you splatting on the sidewalk and their boardrooms cheer the ratings results. Then, they're on to build, destroy and use up the next one. Rinse. Repeat. As if a life to them is no more important than shampoo instructions.
Someone else's life has its own truth we can't often understand from the outside looking in. We think it must be fun to be famous and easy to be rich. I know people who live fun and easy lives playing cover gigs for strangers in a lounge a couple times a week. I know very happy people who have never even made it out of the basement with their music. In both cases, they were given a gift, something that has nothing to do with fame or fortune. It's the simple ability to express themselves with music. That's the true good fortune that both the happy famous & the happy unknowns have in common. And if you are reading this, most likely it's a gift you have yourself.
If you find joy in making music, be happy with that and allow it to enrich your life. I am not saying not to pursue success (and I will be the first one to do what I can to help you get there). But so many people end up hating themselves and their music because they don't become rich and famous from it. Please don't.
The next time frustration sets in because your "career" isn't what you want, count yourself lucky that you have the ability and the joy to make music. No matter what else is wrong in life, making music is always something good we have going for ourselves. Want to be a happy success? Make some music. Rinse. Repeat.
Learn, Succeed and Thrive. We're all in this together!
Comments
Post a Comment