Be Like Mike

I went to see the movie This Is It two nights ago and it did some things to me/for me. This movie was made to be entertaining--who doesn't want to see the magic of Michael Jackson's performances, especially after we lost him so tragically this summer? But the movie did much more than that.

What I first observed was how much MJ lived and breathed his music and how he really celebrated the art of performance. All throughout the film, you see see and hear that Michael wanted to give his absolute best to the fans. He wanted to deliver the songs as they sounded on a record. He wanted the fans to feel the music and the performance. It had to simmer. It had to sizzle. That is an admirable trait for anyone in any profession. Legions of fans were going to come and see Michael Jackson perform, just based on the fact of who he was. He could have delivered a 7 or 8 and surely many would have been fine with it. But he always chose to deliver a 14 or 15 because his craft was his life. May we all be able to pursue a dream or occupation so wholeheartedly that we give it nothing less than our best.

The second thing I observed was how genuinely sweet and humble Michael Jackson was. This was the most profound for me. Maybe he was acting because he knew he was being recorded, but I doubt it. Every time MJ wanted a dancer or band member to make a change, he was always very soft spoken and asked for the change. If the stage was set wrong or the tempo not fast enough or the pitch not quite right, he never threw a superstar tantrum. Rarely was he without a "God bless you" or a "I'm asking in love." I mean, this was Michael Jackson--the King of Pop and best seller of all time. If anyone was "allowed" to be ultra-demanding and critical about his show, his music, his performance and all those associated with it, it would be him. I truly admired that MJ kept his spirit in the face of all that he endured. The world, the media and people treated him so horribly yet he remained humble, caring and unobtrusive.

In the movie, MJ reminded me of one of my friends. This friend of mine, who works in education, once told me that he administers "soft love" when working with the students. He said that he gives his students a long rope and only carefully pulls them back when they need to be re-directed. At first, I thought he was just trying to sound profound. But as I continued to observe him and his interactions, I found it to be true.
And it amazed me.
And it still amazes me.
He can get the most unruly child to obey and be concerned about getting good grades. He can come to working solutions with the completely non-compliant parents. And everyone--students, teachers, parents and citizens, alike--absolutely adores him. And that's why most people absolutely adored Micheal. Because of his soft love.

So as I left the theatre, I resolved that I was going to earnestly try to live my life more like Michael Jackson. I have employees, admins and assistants and in most situations, I am the person in charge. Things are going to go the way that I say they are going to go. Instead of always being clinical and precise, and at times, demanding, I will strive to work with others "in love." I will try to use soft love, instead of tough love and endear more people to WANT to perform well. I know this long, rambling post kind of sounds warm and fuzzy, but I really think this is something that we should all work towards. Everyone has room for improvement. So--this is it--from this day, I am going to pledge myself to "be like Mike."