Good Thursday morning to you. If you have not heard by now another of our great musicians in Rock ‘n’ Roll history has passed away. Davy Jones, the singer from a group called The Monkeys, at 66 years of age left this earth. In a week in which we’re talking about the word “different,” I had picked a song from The Who to use this week, to talk about how from one generation to the next what we think is normal will be considered strange by our parents – and by our kids.
I wanted to use the song in the title to talk about how Rock ‘n’ Roll has changed over the years, how we have changed over the years, how each generation has a different way of doing things. Many times today in our world someone will hear the phrase, “That’s not the way we did it in my day.” I wish I could tell you how many times I see the things my kids are doing and want to tell them, “When I was your age we did…”
In a world that has system after system failing when we have troubles in politics, troubles in our economy, troubles in the way we see different ways, when life is going to be different, that same old way of doing things will not always work. You will have to learn to do some things differently if you want to make a success of it.
I was thinking, as I heard the news of Davy Jones yesterday, how as a child I remember The Monkies on a TV show. In the ‘70s we had a black and white television. It was this big box about the size of a small chest of drawers. We had three channels to watch. When you fell in love with a show like The Monkies I remember having to count the days till it was back on again. Then I remember when it was no longer on TV.
Now we have a TV that is as thin as our table top was back then, it can be moved from our room to another by one person. We have over 500 channels to choose from. If you miss your show you can record it on a computer device. If you like a show on a certain network you can watch it there many times over, as it will be repeated throughout the week. We watch movies and our favorite now comes on the movie channels about four times a day.
This time of just watching the TV is different than when I was a child; imagine where it will go in the future. As a child, a computer was a big thing taking up a whole room in a company building somewhere; now I hold my computer on my lap and have a tablet iPad that I can watch videos on. Imagine how the world will be different.
So let’s look at how we deal with differences in the generations of change, how we can use them to build on our success and not let ourselves hold on to the old-fashioned traditions that would keep us down.
Yesterday we spoke about how we need some sort of structure, or discipline, to work towards our goals. Before that we talked about defining who we are, and started the week off with using our belief in purpose.
No matter what it is that you find out you are, what system you have to work to get to your goals, you are going to have to accept the fact that the world is going to change so you will also have to adapt. I have to adapt all the time. As I mentioned last week, people tell me, “You have a great idea” all the time. It fits with not only this generation (our kids’ age), but mine as well.
I have to always be in a process of change to accept the fact I need to be able to relate to those who maybe never heard Rock music from my generation. But then, think of the people who are in the generation of listening to The Monkeys or The Beatles. They know of bands I have never heard of. I have to build and expand my great niche to be able to relate to all music, from all generations. If I don’t, my idea won’t be a great one any longer.
So in closing, let me leave you with this; find out who you are, find a path to take and learn to live in this generation, the here and now.
I’m Tim Gillette, the Rocker Life Coach. It’s time to live your dream, to love what you do and those you share life with. Love where you came from but be the RockStar now.
