Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Make It Habit. Make It Happen.



Will Powers Adventures in Success

I was reading something on the Holy Ghost blog that mentioned Peter Gordon's Love of Life Orchestra the other day, which reminded me of photographer Lynn Goldsmith's Will Powers project in the early 80's. I mentally place this whole project on the same shelf as monologist Spalding Grey, certain projects David Byrne was involved with, Laurie Anderson and other downtown New York video types, and you can see why from the above video. Collaborators on this project include Carly Simon, Jacob Brackman (who wrote one of my favourite films, King of Marvin Gardens), Nile Rodgers (of Chic), Steve Winwood, Todd Rundgren and Sting. (Uh...)

This is just me talking about a world I really have no idea about, but it seems that in Reaganite America, there was an actual skepticism towards self-help that seems conspicuously missing when artists at a similar level in their career (as the people involved with Will Powers) and beyond, like Beck, are now all knee-deep in the management theory mysticism of Scientology. As for projects like Will Powers, sure, there's Yacht, but while I can't deny certain sonic similarities, the conceptual art and theoretical elements of Yacht are the least appealing to me and feel strikingly dated.



It's you. only you.
It's you. only you.
It's you. only you.

You are an important person. A rare individual. A unique creature. There has never been anyone just like you and never will be. You have talents and abilities no one else has. In some ways you're superior to any other living person. The power to do anything you can imagine is within you when you discover your real self by practicing a few simple laws of success.

First law of success. Take inventory of your assets. Don't be modest or critical. Be open and objective. Get a pencil and paper. Write down every good thing about yourself you can think of.

It's you. make it habit. make it happen. only you.
It's you. make it habit. make it happen. only you.
It's you. make it habit. make it happen. only you.

Second law of success. Write a description of the person you'd like to be. Describe your personal dress, your home, your automobile, your desired occupation and income. Be honest. Now, go even deeper. Describe the inner person you'd like to be. Let your mind run wild. Assume you can become anything that you desire. The fact is, you will become the person you honestly describe. You can't avoid it.

It's you. make it habit. make it happen. only you.
It's you. make it habit. make it happen. only you.
It's you. make it habit. make it happen. only you.

Third law of success. Concentrate on a mental image of the person you'd like to be. Paint a picture in your imagination of who you want to become. Constantly hold this visual in your mind's eye. See yourself performing and responding like a champion. Feel the confidence and courage that radiate from this type of person.

It's you. only you.
It's you. only you.
It's you. only you.

These three laws are powerful and effective in changing lives. They'll work for you without fail if you're persistent in applying them.

Make it habit. make it happen. make it habit.
Make it happen. make it habit. make it happen.
Make it habit. make it happen.

It's you. make it habit. make it happen. only you.
It's you. make it habit. make it happen. only you.
It's you. make it habit. make it happen. only you.

1 comment:

Eluterius said...

I have been looking for this song for ages. I saw it a few times when it was out. Mamximum 5 times I think. From time to time, when I saw or heard the phrase "make it happen" I was reminded of the white spinning masks and I wanted to know which song this was. How was I going to find that out? Early this week I posted a question on Yahoo Answers and the next day I got the answer. It's been almost 30 years since I last saw that video. Memories!