My first memory of Bob Dylan was in 1985 and his participation in “We are the World.” The famous charity single, that raised money to provide food and relief aid to people in Africa, included over forty of the top musical acts of the time. The vocals of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan left an impression on 7-year-old me.
As a New Yorker, I was already a big Bruce Springsteen fan. Bruce’s “Born in the USA” album came out a year earlier and “Glory Days” and “No Surrender” were always playing on my tape recorder. But this Dylan guy was unique – was that really his voice? I became familiar with his greatest hits as a teenager but in college is where I truly became a Dylanologist. As such, I have seen him live over 40 times.
The lyrics above from “My Back Pages” confounded me for quite some time. Older then, younger now? What are you trying to tell me?
Watch an All-Star rendition of My Back Pages from Bob Dylan’s 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration at Madison Square Garden in 1992.
As I write this today, on my 46th birthday, I finally understand what Bob was saying. From an early age, I was considered the mature and responsible one in the group. I often thought 5, 10, 20 years down the road and made decisions based on my perception of what the future may hold. I became rigid in my thinking often adhering to absolutes. If I had a dollar every time someone said, “it’s not always black and white” ….
That way of thinking worked for me for a while. It led to responsible (safe) decision-making, working 20 years in my dream job and a wonderful family with two kids. But along the way, I failed to consider the gray which is where we live most of our life. By the time I was in my 40s, I was burnt out from my dream job and my marriage was coming to an end. For the first time in my life, I was forced to sit in the gray.
It was not an easy time, but it was a beneficial time. I learned to embrace it because to do otherwise is foolish. The gray is where growth happens. As a result, I am more open-minded and curious. Every decision does not have to go through a filter of will this help me in 10 years. I do not know who or where I will be in 10 years so l am doing a better job of living in the present. I spend less time worrying about the what ifs and more time thinking about the experiences at hand. As a result, stress and anxiety have decreased. I have also had more people point out the gap in my teeth than ever before. As a friend told me, it’s because you are smiling more. I was so much older at 26, I am younger than that now at 46.
I share this personal reflection because I work with many business owners that have fallen into a similar cycle. Very successful professionally and financially but something is missing. The words and phrases I hear are “stuck”, “tired” or “lost the passion” and some just want to experience more joy in their everyday life. I will borrow from an old saying, “the best time to make a change was 10 years ago. The second-best time is today.” It is never too late to make a change, especially if the end result is a life with more joy. It’s a cruel irony that most entrepreneurs start a business to have control over their life only to find their life controlled by the business. I am determined to help business owners live their best life. Strong businesses lead to good jobs which leads to a good economy and a thriving community.
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We are the World!
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