“I think I’m done.  I have exhausted all my options.”

I was totally bummed out.  My big vision, my amazing project, my passion to do something that had not been done before was going to die before it ever came to fruition.  In a state of dejected resignation I was sharing my heart with a good friend.

At the time I was working with the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club.  It was the last season of the team in Winnipeg before they moved to Phoenix.  I had a crazy idea.  The kind of idea when you share it with people they look at you funny and ask if you are taking your meds.

I was a guitar player.  For my friends’ birthdays I would often take their favourite song and rewrite the words to that song so it was about them.  I would then sing it at their birthday party as my gift to them.  I had done scores of these over the years, and this was the seed for my BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) for the Winnipeg Jets.

My idea was to take classic rock songs by Manitoba artists, rewrite the lyrics to their songs so they were about players on the Jets and the team itself.  I would then get the original artist to rerecord their song with my lyrics.  I would produce a CD called “Hockey Rock – Winnipeg Style!” as a musical memento for Jets fans.  The CD would be sold through HMV music stores.  All the artists would donate their time because the net proceeds of the album would be donated to our Goals For Kids charity which supported sick kids in Manitoba.

Awesome idea!  At least I thought it was.

Randy Bachman was my first call, and the first artist to enthusiastically support the project.  He agreed to record Teemu Means Business (Takin’ Care of Business), and That’s One Hot Russian Jet (You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet).  I was ecstatic!  I was well on my way to proving everybody wrong who thought I was nuts to attempt this project.

However, subsequently Burton Cummings said “no”.  Neil Young said “no”.  The Crash Test Dummies said “no”.  Tom Cochrane said “no”.

It was at this stage I confessed my dejection to my buddy.  I was done.  It was time to tap out and concede defeat.  Little did I know that my friend would singlehandedly breathe hope back into my heart and put wind back in my sails to propel me forward.

“What about Harlequin?  And Streetheart?  And Colin James?  They’re all great Winnipeg bands with hits.”

He proceeded to expand my Manitoba musical repertoire.

I was back in business!

I was able to secure the participation of his 3 suggestions, amongst a number of others, and we put the album together.  It sold out in a matter of weeks – over 5,000 units.  In fact, we were the top selling album in Manitoba.  In every other province in Canada Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill was number 1, but in Manitoba it was Hockey Rock – Winnipeg Style!.

We raised over $30,000 for our Goals For Kids charity.

What a great learning experience this project was.  My greatest lesson was this,

“The road to your greatest achievements is often lined with people telling you why it can’t be done.”

I also learned that we need the input of others in order to achieve extraordinary results.  We need to be willing to be open, authentic and vulnerable with people in order to get input that can be transformational.  If we never open up to others we can’t receive the encouragement and inspiration of others.

Without the input of my friend Hockey Rock would never have happened.  And, if I had never opened up to him I never would have gotten his input that gave me hope and encouragement to continue.

Who do you open up to?  Do you choose to be open, authentic and vulnerable with friends/allies so you can receive their encouragement and inspiration?  Your ability to receive hope from others is directly tied to your willingness to open up to others.

Who gives you hope?  With whom do you choose to be vulnerable?   Vulnerability precedes encouragement.