Grant Cyster on Michael Jackson, being yourself & the stratosphere

Grant Cyster

The king of pop is dead, and in my humble opinion the world is the poorer for it. I consider myself a fan. Not obsessively so, but I certainly appreciate the gifts of wonder, passion and dedication that Mr. Jackson shared with us during his lifetime. I can remember watching the Thriller video as a kid, in awe with most of the rest of the world, hanging on every word and amazed by every move. I dare say I had the entire dance down pat, and no doubt I looked a royal idiot attempting to mimic it's creator. Love him or hate him, there is no question that he was a genius of the modern age, and quite possibly the greatest entertainer of all time.

Over the last week or so I've found myself thinking about classic and contemporary icons of the arts...people who revolutionized their craft and left a timeless legacy behind. I've been wondering if there's any one trait that is common to all of them. Is there something that I can learn from their lives? What propels someone beyond the realm of accomplishment and success into the stratosphere of genius? We can speak here of tireless dedication and a relentless pursuit for perfection. We can talk about hard work and a refusal to settle for average or mediocrity. There is the case for the endowment of extraordinary natural talent combined with a burning, driving passion and love for the art-form in question. All of these are significant factors I'm sure, but it's something else that my mind has been focused on.

Some time ago I came across a bumper sticker that read as follows: "Never forget that you're unique. Just like everybody else." I find that amusing and simultaneously sad, because I believe it to be indicative of a world where individuality is easily stifled and self-worth carelessly discarded. I'm also reminded of another quote I've come across before: "Men are born originals, but most die copies." Think about that for a moment. To what degree can we say that the person we are at this very moment in time accurately represents who we truly desire and believe ourselves to be, versus who we feel pressured to be to earn acceptance or approval from those around us. As I contemplate the kinds of things that set the geniuses of history apart from their peers, there seems to me to be at least one common thread: the relentless striving to be true to themselves and to march to the beat of their own drum.

There is a scene in the movie "Dead Poet's Society" where three school boys are instructed by their teacher to walk around the courtyard in whichever way they feel comfortable, while their classmates observe. The boys begin walking at their own pace and in their own manner, but soon find themselves sharing the same rhythm and style, their footsteps mirroring one another while the rest of the class claps along in time. The point their teacher, Mr. Keating, was illustrating was the power of conformity and the inherent difficulty in remaining true to one's own beliefs and values in the face of differing opinions and norms. It is a powerful image that demonstrates the temptation to blend in at the expense of sacrificing one's own unique voice. Let me for a moment use the analogy of life as a grand symphony.

How bland the music would sound if every person in the orchestra played the same instrument in an identical way. How starved of beauty we all would be if individual expression was suffocated in such a way so as to squelch spontaneity and creativity. No. What makes the symphony soar is each individual in the orchestra offering their unique talent...giving the music life using the specific instrument they feel drawn to and passionate about. Every pause...every crescendo...every mood conveyed is the end result of individual artists contributing their skill in a way that no-one else could have flawlessly copied. All at once a beautiful thing occurs as the amalgamation of individual gifts converge to form a synergistic whole that is inspiring and moving, stirring the soul.

What does this mean for us practically? It has to do with the choices we make...what we choose to do or not do. And in both instances, it has everything to do with our motivations along either end of the spectrum. Do we make choices that safeguard who we know ourselves to be, or do we succumb to the pressure to conform and slowly but surely lose what makes us unique and distinct? The correct answer should be obvious, but making the right choice is sometimes far easier said than done. One of the greatest things you can aspire to in life is to be the best you that you can be. After all, as the lyrics to a recent popular song so succinctly puts it: "If everybody looked the same, we'd get tired of looking at each other."