“Make it Happen”
I’ve always wanted to be a rock star.
There are countless bands, musicians, artists, and acts that I’ve seen in concert throughout the years. Whether it was a show at First Ave, an evening at House of Blues Chicago, a worldwide event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, or a weekend at The Gorge, all of these had at least one similarity: each one was a stop on a tour. Touring is a necessary component of any successful career as a performing artist. Leading up to a concert, I’ll follow the band that much more closely- reading reviews of recent shows, checking out the set lists, and of course listening to the music around the clock. In all of this, I’ve wondered what life on the road would be like… the travel, the fans, the interviews and all.
I was moving from Seattle to Minneapolis, and had a generous window of time to work with. Seeing it as a once in a lifetime opportunity, I knew that I wanted to take the time to not only see as much as I could during the move, but also make it meaningful on multiple levels. So I started dreaming and planning. Lots of planning.
What resulted was The “Valley to Valley” Spring Tour 2013: 14 major cities, across 10 states, all in 14 days. My wife and I shipped all our stuff, and proceeded to hit the highway... 4,242.5 miles worth of road from start to finish. The tour was setup to further our learning, deepen the understanding of our life, and bring clarity to the vision of what is ahead. It was also a great time to reflect and process moving from our new home in Seattle back to our established home base in Minnesota. Along the way we had the opportunity to spend time with like-minded people and their organizations. We found distinct moments in unique places to inspire abstract creativity. Every step on this journey was an intentional one.
Lighters at a Concert... photo by Josh Shelton
This tour relied on many people to make it as successful and incredible as it was. We made many phone calls, sent out a ton of emails, raised financial support from friends and family, prepped our vehicle, spent hours on Google Maps, and even created a poster with matching “backstage” passes (what tour would be complete without them?). The point is if you want to see a personal dream become your actual life, all you have to do is create the experience. When you have a stellar idea, move forward on it by learning what it’ll take to make it happen, put in the work, and watch it come to fruition.
Your goals are exactly that; yours. Understand your power to create and cause (but not force) your ideas to happen. Embody your beliefs and desires and there will be an unstoppable amount of leading action.
Be a rock star in your own right... you can make it happen.
Josh Shelton is currently based out of Minneapolis where he works in the fitness industry, mentors fatherless boys, and is learning the art of urban nonprofit.
