I am a big Mary J. Blige fan, as much for her soulful beats as for her honest and upfront lyrics that often turn into personal anthems. After listening to my favorite CD No More Drama hundreds of times, I had a bit of trepidation about how her new CD Breakthrough would measure up. But in true Mary style, she came through with an honest, revealing and downright funky soundtrack which reflects the new, very positive and spiritual place she is in.
The way I break in a new CD is to listen to it over and over in my car, so that I get familiar with the words as well as the groove of the music. Track 10, “MJB da MVP” has emerged as my new favorite for anyone who is trying something new, risky and honest.
Mary has never been one to mince her words. You know exactly what is going on in her life by the songs she sings. I haven’t read much about it, but I do know that she has become a Christian and holds that as a central part of her life nowadays. So to her critics, she says this in her song:
go ‘head envy me
I’m the soul hip-hop queen
and i aint going nowhere
but you already know me
She tells the story of her journey to fame, and thanks her fans for all their love and support. And she sings this piece of advice to her critics:
YOU CAN HATE IT OR LOVE IT!
I do believe I have a new war cry for knock-kneed newbie entrepreneurs who are scared about putting themselves out there. I suggest taking Mary’s framework and replacing her words with your own:
go ‘head envy me
I’m the (insert your own term such as “gourmet pickle queen”)
and i aint going nowhere
but you already know me
Then, just as you are about to make your first sales call or launch your new website or give your first talk, shout as loud as you can:
YOU CAN HATE IT OR LOVE IT!
To practice this, buy Mary’s CD, drive somewhere alone and crank track #10 up as loud as you can. Bump, shake and sing with reckless abandon without becoming a traffic hazard. I guarantee you will feel better about your new venture.