I was at a social gathering recently, and someone asked me if there was an artist that I admired for being “intense.” Well, instead of naming the man outright, I responded with a quote directly from that artist: “I just wish to shine brighter, and if it burns my body to a crisp, I’m happy to go right now.”
One woman at the gathering’s eyes got really wide, and she responded by saying, “Jim, that’s so punk rock!”
She was right, of course, and the whole group understood why when I revealed to them that this was a quote from a man whom I admire deeply: singer, songwriter, spoken-word artist, author, actor, radio and TV show host, publisher and punk rock icon, Henry Rollins.
Henry made his mark on pop culture as the front man for the quintessential punk band Black Flag, and then later via the Rollins Band, and he turned that experience into a multi-faceted and eminently interesting career fit for a true polymath. His career continues today, mostly through writing and one-man spoken word shows that combine the intensity of a punk-rock concert with the intellectual stimulation of a TED Talk.
A couple of years ago, another polymath I admire, entrepreneur, investor and business inspirer, Evan Carmichael, compiled a list that he called “Henry Rollins’s Top 10 Rules for Success.” You can watch the video on YouTube. I recommend doing so, as it will give you a sense of the intensity and focus Henry puts into just about every breath he takes.
Here is a list of those top 10 rules (complete with sage advice straight from Henry himself), rules that I also try to live by, and rules that can help everyone — regardless of what stage they are at in life — achieve just that little bit extra that makes life glorious.
Rule 1: Be Driven
Rollins says he uses childhood anger and fear of failure to fuel his sense of drive. “I descend from the sky and land on things really hard, and I go at everything with that amount of fury,” Rollins says. Now that is a definition of drive that we all can sublime.
Rule 2: Work Hard
Rollins says that no matter what he does, he goes at everything “fully engaged, and that intensity has served him quite well.” He also credits his punk rock roots for that work ethic, as everything in the early days was a sort of do-it-yourself (DIY) exercise in just trying to make it from week to week.
Rule 3: Keep Moving Forward
Continue to consistently work hard and always move forward in life. “I keep moving forward boldly because I have nothing to lose,” Rollins says. Of course, regardless of whether you think you have nothing to lose, life requires constant movement, or we fall into stagnation. “I like to work… It’s about activity and challenge,” he adds.
Rule 4: Just Do It
Rollins tells the story about starting his own book publishing company, which was the essence of the punk rock DIY ethic. “You just do it; you don’t even think about it… and without hesitation I’m making my own book company. Stop me. I dare you,” Rollins recalls.
Your editor getting punk rock with Henry Rollins’ writings.
Rule 5: Take Your Shot
The “shot” for Rollins came when he was asked to audition as the singer for the iconic punk band Black Flag. He took a train from his home in Washington, D.C., to New York City and sang every song the band had. About 10 minutes after the audition was over, he was offered the job as the front man of his favorite band. Now that is taking advantage of your “shot” in life.
Rule 6: Communicate Emotionally
“I feel a genuine need to communicate with an audience,” Rollins shares. That’s the way he describes his interaction with a crowd, because he sees it as the best way to genuinely connect with others. “It’s about communication, warning, broadcasting, emitting and trying to leave something of myself with the audience,” Rollins says. This rule is one of my favorites, because it’s also what I attempt to do each week in this publication.
Rule 7: Try Out Different Things
“Yeah, I’ll try that. I mean, why would I hold back?” This also is one of my favorite rules, as it encapsulates the fearlessness with which life should be approached. If there is something you want to do in life, try it out. The worst that can happen is you don’t like it, or you aren’t good at it. So what? At least you challenged yourself to stretch out and experience life in a different way.
Rule 8: Manage Yourself
“The repeating factors of my life have been application, discipline, focus, repetition,” Rollins says. These keys for Rollins are also largely the keys to success of many high achievers. The reason why is because application, discipline, focus and repetition are how you really get good at something. No matter how much natural talent you might possess, you will never be extraordinary at a skill unless you apply yourself with the requisite discipline, focus and repetition required to achieve the highest levels of whatever it is you do.
Rule 9: Learn from Your Past
“The past holds all of your mistakes and humiliations. The future holds whatever you can make it.” Rollins doesn’t think you should ignore the past, but he doesn’t think you should dwell on it and be miserable. Instead, you should learn from it and move on. “The future’s ready for you to not make those mistakes,” Rollins adds.
Rule 10: Have Passion
Here is the key rule to life that both Rollins and I embrace, as it’s really at the heart of your existence. Because whatever you do, and whatever time you have to do it, why not live it all the way? Forget about half-hearted effort or “just okay” results. Have the passion to attack life like a punk rock front man — with all the intensity and hardcore aggression that meets life head on and that embraces the struggle. Because in the end, all we have is how we lived.
**************************************************************
10 Provocative Thoughts for Insomniacs
I was up much too late the other night, so in an attempt to cure my insomnia I turned on the TV. The channel that popped up happened to be tuned to a film called “Ask Me Anything,” a 2014 quirky comedy about a confused teenage girl who writes a blog revealing her daily activities and secrets. Now, on the surface, this didn’t seem like my kind of film; however, it stars Christian Slater, who I actually know personally, and whose work I think is quite brilliant.
The part of the film I stumbled on was not your typical teen comedy fare. Instead, it contained the following list of provocative thoughts that, upon hearing them, kept me up the remainder of the night in deep contemplation. Hey, so much for curing my insomnia!
Now, I do not agree with all of the following sentiments, but I do admit that I certainly understand where they come from. And after doing a bit of digging, I discovered this was the most powerful and talked about part of the film. Here is the setup for these provocative thoughts, as narrated by Slater’s character, “Paul Spooner,” in a letter to the lead character, “Katie Kampenfelt,” played with vulnerable intensity by actress Britt Robertson.
Dear Miss Kampenfelt, since you expressed a desire today to learn more about adult life, here are 10 bitter truths for your reading pleasure.
One, complete honesty is a complete lie.
Two, marriage is sacred only to those who have never been married.
Three, money is more integral to happiness than romantic love.
Four, every human being is a contradiction. Some hide it better than others.
Five, never underestimate the tendency of human beings to act contrary to their own best interests.
Six, were it not for the fear of getting caught, most of us would behave like savages.
Seven, all sex has consequences, most of them dire.
Eight, the older you get, the faster time flies until months pass like days.
Nine, there’s no such thing as living happily ever after.
Ten, everything gets worse.
Like I said, I don’t endorse these sentiments entirely, but I certainly can relate to much of them. And I suspect you can, too. If you do, and if you are so inclined, I would love to hear what you think. All you have to do is click here and tell me.
In the name of the best within us,
Jim Woods
