As I’ve mentioned often, Almost Famous, is probably my all time favorite movie. The writing, casting, acting, music, story, etc. are all top notch. Unfortunately, hollywood didn’t let Cameron Crowe show the his version of the movie in theaters. Thankfully, he opted to release a director’s cut version on DVD. While there aren’t a great deal of major changes, the subtle nuances make the movie so much better. But, you’ll have to wait till nearly the end of the movie for the best scene that was added back into the movie. Right after the band is notified that William’s story for Rolling Stone paints them as a bunch of amateurs struggling with their own success, Jimmy Fallon’s character explains to the band that Russel must deny the story…in denying the story he has to lie.
As Jimmy Fallon explains, the reason he needs to dismiss the story is so the band can hold on to their mystique. It’s the mystique that keeps the fans interested. It’s the ambiguity and the unknown that makes them interesting, marketable, and will ultimately make them rich, famous, and successful.
Too often we’re not content with what we have, because the allure of the unknown and the alternative is so seductive. Think about the last time a recruiter sent you an email or called you about a job. Did you automatically say no? Of course not. You’d be silly not to at least listen to the opportunity. Even if you are perfectly content in your current job, you’ll always take the call and listen to what the voice on the other end of the phone is saying. Why? Because…you already know what you have, but what you don’t know is what you might be missing out on.
Oh yes, we love the known. Hey, like the old saying goes…the grass is always greener on the other side. But, as someone who’s speaking from experience, I can tell you, it’s not always greener or better. Frankly, sometimes it rather sucks. Yet, despite the number of times I’ve been burned by the allure of the unknown, I always remain open to it. Why? Because, you never know. You simply never know when the unknown will be better than what you already have.
I’m finding myself thinking a lot about the unknown lately. Not with regards to my job though. For the first time in a long time, I’m completely closed off to the idea of another opportunity. Not since I was at Fallon, have I found myself in a role where I literally look forward to coming into the office. The thinking I’ve been doing is much broader and more centered on everything else not named J-O-B. I’m certainly too young for a mid-life crisis, but I’m definitely old enough to realize that you don’t get too many chances to shake things up and still have enough time to fix it, if you’ve chosen poorly.
2010 is going to be a hell of a year. It’s going to be a year full of the unknown. And I plan on chasing it.
Head of Social Media at Walgreens. Interactive marketer, innovator, boat rocker, continuous learner, movie lover, risk taker, dad and all around good guy.
