David Lee Roth thought he was the band but Eddie Van Halen turned out to be the indispensable one.

Sammy Hagar replaced Roth and the band played on.

But before the lockdown the talented Hagar was playing to smaller crowds.

People need people.

Even really talented people.

Sometimes the magic is made by collaboration – few have the abilty to continue on while changing parts as Van Halen did.

It’s a testimony to the iconic Van Halen upon his death but also a reminder that there’s talent and there is magic.

And ego has nothing to do with making it.

Why are we so caught up in the way others think about us or worse yet what we think others think of us?

“No judging” applies to the way we see ourselves, too.

Who we want to be and how are we living up to it at any given moment.

If the actor is concerned with how the audience perceives them, then they are distracted from what really matters – giving the best performance.

You don’t judge your time in the marathon by how fast the winner completed the course, but by your best time.

The same is true in every area of life.

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It’s not necessarily a balance of work and life, but a keen appreciation.

Not the number of hours you spend, but the time focused on things and people that are important to you.

Becoming a better parent, spouse or employee does not come down to how much time you spend but what you do with the time you have.

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. If you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.”  — Stephen Hawking

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“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” —  Maya Angelou 

You can decide to live with it or to walk away.

The ultimate power is in the hands of the person whose feelings are hurt not those of the abuser.

A new study confirms it and backs it up with scientific answers.

If you believe you have it within your power to control your happiness, you can.

The happiest people don’t wait around for luck to make them feel better, they find ways to turn adversity into success.

It comes down to prioritizing what can be controlled and what cannot.

Here are the results of the Tracking Happiness study.

Tomorrow: People Who Let Your Down.  Sign up here to get it.

Psychologists have discovered a significant increase in Google searches for anxiety, panic attacks and treatments for panic attacks.

A Tulanne University study indicates that this may just be the tip of the iceberg.

There are many ways to deal with panic and anxiety when they occur but eliminating the episodes requires changing the way panic prone people look at things.

I recommend to my NYU music business students to read the best book ever written on the fear and worry that drives panic attacks – How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie.

Here’s a crib sheet.

Tomorrow: You Can Control Your Happiness.  Sign up here to get it.

The new and updated age for career burnout is a startlingly young 32.

That’s right, by 32 the angst, pressure and expectations that make us crazy now burn us out when we should be just getting started.

Trying to do too much, working long hours, “always on” no way to disconnect, pressure to overwork and the coronavirus (59% said they have started to work more hours).

59% of Gen Z is burned out from their “always-on” work culture according to a study commissioned by The Office Group and conducted by OnePoll.

No one is going to help you – it’s personal.

The only way to regain the balance is to put personal goals up there with other A1 business priorities.

It is just as important to make a life as it is to make a living.

Tomorrow: The Panic Attack Rise.  Sign up here to get it.

“If you win right away you will never know was it just a fluke or luck or were you brilliant” – Maria Konnikova

The earlier you act, the less information you have.

And stumbling along the way has its benefits because it offers information that success doesn’t offer.

Victory is mistakenly the goal but what the road that leads you to succeed guarantees you will know how to preserve your success.

Tomorrow: The Always-On Work Culture.  Sign up here to get it.

When things go well, they seem to keep going well without much effort.

Confidence breeds more success.

And when it doesn’t, it seems like we will never get off the schneid.

Losing becomes easier during a losing streak.

The only attitude that transcends the ups and downs of life is anticipating the next chance to succeed.

A football player who drops a pass doesn’t fear the next throw – in fact, they want to get the ball immediately expecting to catch it.

In life, a next up mentality factors out luck.

You’re down in the ninth inning and rally to win.

You’re down in the ninth, rally and lose but feel you could have won.

Down in the ninth, no rally but you learn a tough lesson for next time.

You never give up because you know in your heart that winning is a percentage of times at bat.

Optimism is a deep-seated belief that if you take enough swings, you’ll get enough hits.