Justin Timberlake Helped Me Get My Desire Back [History 5 VIDEO UPDATE]

If I'm being honest, I must tell you that I've been struggling with something for the last few months. Still being honest... Justin Timberlake helped me get over it (although he doesn't know that).

[If you've already read this post, scroll down for The History of Rap 5 video]

I have 'flat out' let my DESIRE fade almost completely. Do you ever start to feel like you're doing something ONLY because it's what you always do and it feels completely involuntary? This can happen in your personal life and your professional life, for me, this has been a professional life thing. Like you're on auto-pilot, slowly drifting away from the fire. Do you know what the opposite of love REALLY is?  It's not hate, its apathy... feeling nothing at all. For a lot of us, this feeling can come from being so busy, so many things going on and no time to focus on WHY you're doing your 'next thing'... you just do it.  My absolute fear was beginning to come true, I'd gone so long without 'stoking my fire' that my desire, my why, was all but gone.

Then right before I was about to descend completely into just 'going through the motions'... BOOM!

(The Justin Timberlake part is coming soon)

My relationships with people are what I treasure more than anything and in the last week 3 new ones have begun.  Because of these three individuals, my DESIRE is 3-alarm now!  Their impact on me in the last week was huge.

One called the show to tell me her Valentine's plans were to move and give herself and her kids a fresh start.  She couldn't live with what she was living with anymore and it was time to move on.  That's a scary thing, just her and the kids now. She has every reason to be negative and terrified and to feel hopeless.  But that's not what her HEART told her to do.  She shared such courage and joy for the future that I asked her to call me once in a while and let me know how things are going (truth be told, I think I was hoping her outlook would rub off on me).  It did! And she called me back a week later to share that the move went well and the kids are happy with the changes.  What did I re-learn from her?  More HEART less HEAD.

The 2nd person, for now, I'll just tell you this.  It's inspiring to meet someone who makes tremendous sacrifices and dramatically changes her 'domestic groove' (wish I could take credit for those last 2 words, I once heard Carlos Santana say it) to do something she has a lot of passion for that's been missing in her life. I can't wait to introduce her to you Monday morning.

And the 3rd is Justin Timberlake.  Sitting in section 319 at the United Center last Sunday night watching one of the greatest entertainers of this generation give another amazing performance.

I watched a man who apparently can do it all, and does, not just 'go through the motions'. It's not just 'another night' in 'another town', it was peak level stuff.  And then when he started singing a song from the person who's music had the greatest influence on me as a child... ABSOLUTE CLARITY.  JT... you got me with Michael Jackson's Human Nature.

Skin tingling, wife smiling at me and a return to putting more HEART into life and less of my head.  As Michael's song says, "I like livin' this way!"

Love + Music,

Steve Shannon

P.S. More "Peak Level" stuff right here