So, on Monday this past week, I happened across the Billy Joel Town Hall on Sirius XM radio. Let me start by saying that as a native New Yorker that lived on Long Island for much of my early life, Billy Joel's music was a huge part of the soundtrack of my life. I went through many phases, but Billy was always there in the background. It was an amazing listen and if you like any of Billy Joel's music (and if you can't find at least ONE Billy Joel song you like, I would question whether you're actually breathing...), I think you need to track down his Town Hall and give it a listen.
It was great hearing him talk about the inspiration and tell the stories behind so many of the songs that I've come to love. "Angry Young Man", "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant", "Just the Way You Are", "Longest Time", "She's Always A Woman", "New York State of Mind"... It was great remembering all of these...
I took note when he started explaining that "Moving Out" was about people who go through life working to be able to acquire the trappings that are seen as signs of success. Billy mentioned it's sad to see someone who never realizes their full potential because they're so focused on working hard to acquire things. They're pressured into working to make a living and they never get the opportunity to truly fulfill themselves.
And it seems such a waste of time If that's what it's all about Mama, if that's movin' up then I'm movin' out.
It struck a chord in me when he talked about fulfilling ourselves because we do get caught up so easily in the daily grind. There are so many demands on our time and it's easy to wake up one day and realize that we haven't really done anything.
You've got to find the things in life that you love; you've got to experience your life; you've got to make your time count for something.
Speaking of finding your potential... Howard Stern was the emcee for the Town Hall. And love him or hate him, the man is constantly evolving and getting better at everything he does.
He has this reputation that he earned from all his hijinks and run-in's with the FCC. I've been listening to him since I found him doing a television show on WWOR in New York, oh so long ago and I'll readily admit he loves to shock. For all that lewd stuff, folks like La Femme Blanquita have misunderstood him and she flat-out refused to listen to him back in the day. But the reality is he's an incredible interviewer and he's at least earned LFB's respect for that. That's saying a lot!
But you'd figure that being the "King of All Media" and arguably the world's greatest interviewer would be enough... Yet, he talks about a lot about hobbies that he's picked up recently like photography and painting. He continues to embody the spirit of Unsteady State by continuing to grow and expand. If someone like that can avoid being complacent and keep challenging himself, it only serves to inspire those of us who have yet to find our niche.
So are you caught in the daily grind? What are you doing to continue your journey? Reach out to me and join the conversation. @ultrasmoov on Twitter and use #unsteadystate. Join the conversation!