The Bobby Rock Newsletter #109 (1-6-24) - Goodbye 2023/Hello 2024!
The Bobby Rock Newsletter #109 (1-6-24) - Goodbye 2023/Hello 2024!
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Hey Gang -
Welcome back! I know it's been a minute. Things have been as insane as ever here lately, and I really wanted to sneak in one more Newsletter before 2024 hit. 'Twas not to be. But I figured delivering an extra-stout edition right at the top of the new year might be a decent concession, and I'm hopeful we can get back to more consistency with this damn thing. I appreciate you guys being here. Let's jump! In This Issue:
_______________ It's All About the Almighty Why... x Four! Author/speaker Jim Rohn is refreshingly classic motivational in approach and protocol... which is to say, his philosophies are timeless. Tony Robbins and scores of others credit Rohn with giving them the inspirational kick-start to get things cookin' in their lives and careers. Me? I still enjoy the regular consumption of this kind of material as a sort of "reset" of the mind. In this prototypical slice of Jim Rohn wisdom, he takes us through four related "Why" questions that will help us get beyond any blockages or stall-outs we might be experiencing with some of our top-of-mind (or long-forgotten) aspirations. They go like this: Why? Why Not? Why Not Me? Why Not Now?  To best get a feel for how this works, I recommend pulling out a notebook or journal and taking note of a handful of your desired future outcomes, from the next few months to the next few years: Something you want to do (experience), to own (a possession of some sort), to achieve (career benchmark, for example), to evolve into (character trait?), to stop doing (bad habit, character flaw), etc. It doesn't have to be a conclusive list... just a sampling of a few different things you feel strongly about. And then, run the following questions against them and write down your responses. It can be quite revealing on a lot of levels. (By the way, you can these notes digitally, if that's your preference.) Scope it! Why? Why do you want the particular thing? Why aspire for the elevated "be, do, or have?" Why eat healthier, learn more, or do less brain cell-evaporating activities? Why travel the world, write that book, or start that new biz? Why be a better friend, employer/employee, partner, or parent? Why take that course, get that certification, or expand that skill-set? Why give more of your time and money to causes you believe in? Why wake up earlier, study longer, train harder? Why, in short, get better, be better, do better? This fundamental why question must be answered first because it is the engine—the driving force—behind virtually every aspiration or acquisition you can imagine. As the old cliche goes: When the why is strong enough, the how will inevitably present itself. So step one here is to inventory your main goals and their corresponding whys (and yes, there are often more than one), and then step into the visceral feeling of the why beyond the mere thought of it. Your whys should light you up! Note: Remember, especially in the case of "overriding" a current vice for a healthier habit, the why inherent to the new habit must be more compelling than the short-term, immediate gratification of the vice! This is why, for example, so many folks find it difficult to stay with a healthier eating regimen: their current whys are not stronger than the raging immediacy of the recreational junk food. So be sure to stack those compelling whys and keep them top-of-mind. Why Not? Here's an interesting counterpoint perspective to the above: Why Not? Why not do the particular thing you desire? Why not be, do, or have more? Why not start eating healthier, training (or training harder), or getting better sleep? Why not do the deal? What's interesting here is that you'll typically discover some weak-ass responses that are built on presumptions that don't actually hold up, or a tendency to default to the more comfortable or predictable alternative. Either will often be exposed here.
At the same time, though, you may run across a legit reason not to pursue something, and that's good, too. You can surrender one outdated aspiration in favor of another more current one that excites you. Why Not You? This is one of my faves of the process. Here, we have to ask why not us? Often, we find that we are hanging on to an old belief about what we're incapable of, unsuitable for, or otherwise unworthy to receive. It's a good day when we can transcend such fabricated limitations. At the same time, we might find that, in the end, we are not actually a good fit for pursuing an aspiration. If, for example, you desire the payout of running a successful new enterprise, you might conclude that you are not the kind of person to juggle the risk/reward realities and long hours often inherent to entrepreneurism. That's fine. You can now let that one go and find a different endeavor that's more suitable to your vibe. Why Not Now? This one is all about time... about the almighty present... and the ellusive future in which we love to defer. But why wait? Why not jump now? Occasionally, sure, I get it: We have to tidy something up, complete a project so its energy doesn't linger, or do a little reconnaissance so our action steps are most efficient. However, there is almost always something we can do right now that will set the table for our next step. Do it. I know a lot about this one. It's one of my personal demons. I have found all kinds of reasons to delay or discontinue projects through the years. And I have struggled not to let subsequent regrets bog me down in the present. So any kind of action that can be taken right now will undoubtedly get the wheels turning, and this is no small thing. +++ Again, this four-question process really works when you actually put the pen to paper. Don't delay! _______________ On the Road with Lita Ford: Last Run of 2023... 2023 was a great year for the Lita Ford camp. We played a ton of memorable shows, from Sweden Rock to Guantanamo Bay, to a Bike Rally at Sea to the Whiskey in LA, to a host of arenas, theaters, clubs, amphitheaters, and even an old-school rock and roll bar. Through it all... we had a blast. And that matters. Truth is, the Lita Ford "Freight Train" is a low-drama, well-oiled machine of ten on-the-road professionals. Everyone shows up and crushes it. Period. Best of all, though... we are family. And that matters even more. Our last run of the year kicked off in the great rock and roll city of San Antonio (12-15-23). I always love playing Texas because I have the deepest musical history there: I grew up in Houston and slugged it out around the state (and beyond) for a few years before heading to LA to join Vinnie Vincent in '85. This time, we played at the Espee (with Warrant, Winger, and Steelheart). Didn't see too many shots from this one, but here's a stage shot to get a vibe.  Also, I had a nice run on the Riverwalk the day before the show.  +++++++ Houston was next (12-16-23), also with Warrant, Winger, and Steelheart. Always great to drop into the hometown, and this particular venue—the Smart Financial Centre— was spectacular. Side note: A personal pet peeve from the last couple decades is all of these cool venues, both new and old, taking on these ridiculous corporate names. I know this might sound trite but, to me, so much of the character and mojo of a venue is identified in its name. No longer, unfortunately. That aside... it's still a killer venue! Here's a view from the house during soundcheck:  And one from my perspective:  Mid-headbang at the show!  +++++++ From there, we made it three in a row for a Dallas show (12-17-23)—this time with just Warrant and Winger—at The Factory in Deep Ellum. Once we got to Dallas in the afternoon, it was time for a pre-soundcheck run. Enjoyed a nice 6-miler around the downtown outskirts:  Encountered a giant mirror ball backstage before soundcheck...  And a full-band elevator selfie back at the hotel after soundcheck:  Lita, Marten, Patrick, and me...
My perspective during the set...  And audience perspective from the house...  Then, after the show, I had the great fortune to hang with a couple hometown heroes of mine (who happened to be in the Dallas area):  That's Cole Newbury on the right... a killer drummer and older brother figure who really inspired me to start playing drums back in the early days in Houston (which I wrote about in detail in my book, The Boy Is Gonna Rock.). And that's Randy Steinmetz on the left... a legendary Texas guitar player who was in a band with Cole back in the 70s, right around when I started playing. These guys had a band called "Fate," and I wore out a cassette tape of one of their shows. I still remember the songs.... they were that strong. The twist? Cole and Randy have reunited nearly 50 years later to record some of that material! So trippy! "Save the first record off the press for me, guys!" Can't wait to hear it... +++++++ A few days later, we finished up the run back in the Cincinnati area, finishing off 2023 where we started (12-20-23): At "The Belle & the Bear," where we played New Year's Eve 2022/2023. This is a small but super-rockin' room! Had another great show there. And it's interesting how close people can get to the stage there, especially to my immediate left near our stage exit. Just like the good ol' days!  Didn't have many shots from this one, but... there was one other poignant moment at the end of this run: The impending retirement of the iconic "Big Red"... my longtime suitcase!  I've had this damn thing for 6 or 7 years and it has taken a beating with all the travel. It started showing its age a few years back, but I was curious to see just how long it might last. Then, early in 2023, I started taking side-bets from band and crew as to whether "Red" might make it till the end of the year. Clearly, he did! But barely. "Thanks for the great service, Big Red," (and kudos to American Tourister for making one beast of a bag!). First two shows of 2024 will be in Florida: Fort Myers and West Palm Beach, on 1-19 and 1-20, respectively. More on that next time... _______________ Symbiosis: The BR Blog/Newsletter Connection It's hard to believe it's been nearly three years since I started doing these BR Newsletters. I estimate that the collective "content" of all these editions could easily fill three books. And honestly, at times, it can be every bit as arduous where the writing is concerned. So be it: I love the process. But I've realized that the Newsletter format isn't always the best where "evergreen reading" is concerned, meaning that, once we get beyond the initial publish date, the articles sit largely hidden in an archive with zero organic traffic. So... as a way of expanding the "life span" of the newsletter articles (past, present, and future), I will be featuring many of them on the BR Blog, which has been up-and-running since 2007. The blog format is more easily searchable and sharable, and more efficiently archived for easier reference. It's also much more video-friendly. So instead of trying to include vids in a separately archived Newsletter format (which I have bull-headedly insisted on doing for more than 100 editions, even though the vid click-throughs are remarkably low), we will simply feature any video content on the corresponding blog version of the articles. Clean and simple! Here are a few Newsletter originals we recently dropped on the Blog. Check 'em out!:     _______________ To sign up for this Newsletter and/or to scope back issues, click HERE. _______________ Thanks again, everybody. Connect soon!
Until then, BR
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