The wife of a good friend of mine is a very accomplished song writer, which, as anyone who knows me well can confirm, is a talent I greatly admire. I can play the piano pretty well and can also create something resembling music on the guitar, but writing songs is a completely different matter altogether. My uncle once wrote a song you have never heard called “Natalie” that I thought was pretty awesome. So if it is awesome to write a good song that nobody has heard, how much more admirable to write good songs that lots of people hear and like.

My friend told me that she’d told him about the difference between writing popular music and just writing what you feel. She even has taught people about this before, that if you want to write music for yourself that’s one thing, but the way to achieve success as a musician is to follow a prescribed formula which is proven to create music that will be mainstream and popular. I don’t blame her for teaching this because I think she’s identified a sad truth: It is much easier to be mainstream.

Amber and I were waiting for some sandwiches the other day at Jimmy John’s when Kansas’ “Carry On Wayward Son” came playing over the radio in the store. As I was complimenting the staff at the store for playing such an excellent radio station, I got to thinking about that song. When you consider the rhythm of that song, the beat of the main riff or the bridge, or even the way Steve Walsh wails “Don’t you cry no mo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-o-o-o-oo-oore!!!” after the last chorus, you would have to agree that this song is anything BUT mainstream. It is unique and one-of-a-kind, and truly epic.

I commented to Amber, “Consider the risk involved in the way he sings the last part of that song. There is no holding back. There is no halfway. He’s putting everything out there, singing that with all the energy of his soul. He’s completely opening himself to criticism and ridicule for singing that part that way. And that’s what makes the song so awesome.”

I wondered since how this applies to life. How many of us intentionally live mainstream lives just trying to fit in and not cause any issues, instead of taking the risk to be epic? How many times do we just go along with the flow, trying to be just like everyone else, making low-risk, low-return choices instead of putting ourselves out there and seeing what our lives could really be like?

Some ways to do this:

  • Blog – and say what you really think
  • Write a book
  • Take a day trip
  • Redecorate
  • Play an instrument
  • Learn a new skill or hobby
  • Make a movie
  • Take your kids on an adventure
  • Do almost anything besides watching TV

It’s the new year. How are you going to be epic this year?