November 11, 2009
Inspiring Lessons From Michael Jackson in "This Is It"
As I write about motivation, positive thinking, believing in yourself, and making the most of the opportunities that come you way, I can't help but just pick up on certain things that most people miss...especially where hugely successful people are concerned!
So...like many millions of people, I went to see the late Michael Jackson in the "This Is It" movie. The thing is, I reckoned I picked up on three very important things that practically everyone else would have missed.
More importantly, what I discovered will give YOU an insight into how you can use Michael Jackson (MJ) to help YOU get to where you want to go in life.
Whatever your views on MJ as a person etc, there is certainly no denying how talented he was in his chosen profession, and this is what I want you to focus on for the moment - his musical genius and stage presence.
So...these are the 3 lessons I learned...
1. Trust Your Instinct
At the beginning of one of the songs, there is a choreographed video playing - which was created in such a way that, 'as if by magic' the video morphs into MJ and his dancers on the stage at the beginning of the song, at the exact moment that the band start to play the intro.
As they reherse, Jerry Ortega - the producer, had told the drummer to come in at a specific point...which, when they rehearse, MJ stops him and tells him that HE will give a signal to the drummer when he should come in, after which the dancers start etc.
"But you can't see the screen Michael, so how will you know when to come in?" asks Ortega
"I'll know. I'll feel it." says MJ
Remember - this intro has to be started at the exact split second for it to work properly - yet MJ couldn't even see it! He just had such a belief that he would know exactly when to come in that he trusted his instinct to let him know when to give the signal to start!
LESSON : Trust your instinct more. Take it from MJ (and from me!) - it knows better than you conscious mind does!
2. It's Not About The Money, It's About The Moment
MJ was rehearsing "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" with his female backing singer. As the song progressed, his dancers, who were watching him from the arena, start cheering as he starts to really get into the duet.
He can't help myself and starts to ad lib, as you can tell he is totally immersed in the song, and in the dynamic with his singing partner. By the end of the song, his 'audience' literally give him a standing ovation.
MJ smirks shyly and just says "I told you I was supposed to rest my voice and take it easy today, I shouldn't have done that!"
Even though it was only a rehersal, MJ can't help himself from just getting into the flow of the music - and to playing up to his audience (which he also does for a later song).
He COULD have easily just gone through the motions, but instead made the most of feeling amazing in the moment.
LESSON : Your life is just a series of moments of NOW - so why not try to make the most of as many of them as possible?
3. What You're Good At Is The Key To Your Happiness
MJ was one of the small number of artists whose live voice was actually better than their recording voice. (Another one was the late Luther Vandross, who as I'm a bit of a soul boy, completely blew me a way live a number of times when I saw him live in the 80s).
Even from the rehersal footage - you could tell that he was a completely different performer when he had a reaction from ANY audience! As soon as he sensed that he was 'performing' for someone else - then it was almost as if he stepped up a gear, and his whole body literally changed.
It was so clear that he was put on this planet to create music and perform it to an audience. His awareness of the notes and the way his songs were played by the band was so precise and clear that it was obvious that he had a feeling for the sound of the music itself, not just the notes themselves.
One interesting thing is that he hadn't played live for the last ten years of his life. It wasn't a surprise then that this coincided with all of the weird stuff going on in his private life.
As a person in a conversation or a group - he always seemed to come across as strange and was either very naive or very calculating in respect of some of the situations he got himself into.
But, for me, I sat there wondering, what if he had just stuck to what he LIVED for - to create music and perform it to an audience. Would he still be around today if he had been on the road for at least some of those ten years?
As a public speaker, I can get just a small understanding of how it feels to receive such adulation - and take it from me, that 'morning after' feeling you have when you get back to 'normal life' after a weekend of everyone telling you how great you are isn't always a great one!
LESSON : You're here for a reason. You're good at something that other people aren't. Focus on being the best you can be at that as often as possible - and the rest will fall into place behind it.
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Well...there you go. A different movie review than perhaps you expected?!
Of course, you may not agree with me or even like MJ - but there is certainly no denying that you CAN learn from ANYONE who is successful at ANYTHING - whether that is pop star, movie star, sports star, CEO, or even great parent or teacher.
You just have to open your eyes and ears and look for the signs - just like I did when I watched the 'King Of Pop' in "This Is It!". Feel free to share your comments below...
