Have you ever heard of “Spookstock”?  Now in its ninth year, this clandestine event has raised millions of dollars for the CIA Officers Memorial Foundation, and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, both of which look after the families of CIA officers and special operations forces killed in the field.  A noble cause and an incredibly moving experience, the event features several meetings and exhibitions, culminating in a major concert on the final evening.  Past performers have included ZZ Top, Peter Frampton, and Lenny Kravitz.  This past December, I had the great privilege of attending Spookstock, featuring none other than 80s rocker Billy Idol at The Anthem in Washington, DC.

I was admittedly skeptical about the quality of his performance, given Idol was now in his late 60s and has hardly maintained a healthy lifestyle.  But I was absolutely blown away by his energy and command of the stage.  And shocked by the number of hits he had in his arsenal.  All the classic hits (“Cradle of Love”, White Wedding”, “Rebel Hell”, etc.) along with newer songs deftly sprinkled in.  Billy Idol was still bringing the noise after all these years!

After an hour or so, Billy wrapped up the show by introducing his talented band.  The music cranked, and the crowd responded, as he worked his way, one-by-one, down the line.  Stephen McGrath on bass.  Billy Morrison on backup vocals.  And the crowd reached a fever pitch as he introduced the legendary Steve Stevens on lead guitar.

Then Billy went silent as the crowd continued to cheer.  He gazed back and forth across the arena.

“And who am I?”

It was a rhetorical question.  He hesitated a beat and then broke into a patented 80s snear before delivering the final punch:

“I’m Billy F***in’ Idol!”

With that, Billy idol dropped the mic (literally!) and walked off the stage to the delight of the frenzied crowd.

It was the ultimate demonstration of complete confidence and a display of someone who understood that his capabilities had no limits.

And couldn’t we all benefit from that same confidence in our work and personal lives?

We All Have Unique Talent

At some point, we all get put into a box.  We settle for the roles we are given and believe we cannot break out. Worse, we stop believing in ourselves and accept the fate others have chosen for us.

My company is too small to win that business.  I’m too old to learn that new technology.  I don’t have enough experience to lead this team.  I could never land that job.  My best days are behind me and I just need to hang on until retirement.  If I speak up, no one will listen.

Stop the madness!

We need to give ourselves more credit.  We need to focus inward rather than let someone else dictate our fate.  Goliath is not undefeated.  We have the ability to learn anything.  Positive action can offset lack of experience.  We can’t be afraid to go for that dream job. Our voice needs to be heard.  Our best days are always in front of us if that is the mindset we choose.

We have unique talent.  We have people who believe in us.  We have a mission to make our corner of the world just a little bit better.   We have a dream that can’t be extinguished.  Now we just need the confidence to act.  It’s not about what other people think.  We have to remember who we are.  We have so much going for us.  We just need to channel our inner Billy “F***in” Idol!

Let That Talent Shine

But confidence doesn’t mean cockiness.  We aren’t “above” anyone else.  We have to earn our seat at the table.  We have to work hard and humbly pay our dues.  We have to rely on mentors and our inner circle to guide us. We can’t go through this journey alone.  And we have to respect those who have have carved the path before us.  But, more than anything, we have to respect ourselves. We got this!

Our dream does not have to be earth-shattering.  We’re not all going to win a National Championship, cure cancer, buy an island, or become President of the United States.  But we can be good teammates.  We can play a supporting role.  We can pull the strings in the background without seeking the spotlight.  The key is to do it on our own terms.  It’s all about maximizing our skills and recognizing that we have something positive (no matter how great or small) to contribute  to this world.

We can’t let anyone put limits on our own ability.  We each have a unique talent that we can’t keep bottled up inside.  It’s time to let that confidence shine on the world.

Drop the mic!