4 min read · Dec 1, 2018
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I want to confess. I am not a music fan. Still, the movie Bohemian Rhapsody made me think of music and life differently. Have you seen the movie or listened to the music?
Truth be told, before the movie, I didn’t know much about the band Queen or the singer Freddie Mercury or his Desi origins. My wife and I loved the movie, particularly the climax scene at Wembley stadium! However, through out the movie, I was busy jotting down 8 life lessons I that stood out for me.
Please do comment below your experience or memories of the band, their songs or the movie.
You can win with teeth like that
When Freddie requests the band to recruit him as lead singer, they are taken aback. Pointing to Freddie’s protruding incisors, John Deacon says “We can’t have a singer with front teeth like that!”. Freddie quickly comes back by reframing his situation.”I can sing better because their is more space inside my mouth”. The life lesson here is this — It’s easy to look at our own perceived “imperfections” or we can use those to our advantage.
I will do what I am born to do
Freddie truly believes that he is born to do great things. This belief is what pushes him and his band to take more risks, work harder and eventually succeed. He keeps saying “I will do… what I am born… to do. I am born to… perform and entertain people”. The life lesson here is find ways to increase your self-image, you can never be better than your self-image. If you want to be better, you need to increase your self-image.
There is no creativity in compliance
At the peak of the band’s success, Freddie breaks off from the Queen to go solo. He finds a new manager, new crew and four million dollars. Things doesn’t work out and soon he requests to return to the original band. The Queen team plays tough “Why do you want to come back?” Here Freddie says something amazing “I was in Munich. The new band members did exactly what I asked them to do. I hate that. You guys, do not agree with me easily and we get better because of that.” The life lesson is this, if you expect your team members to agree with you all the time, there is no room for growth, there is no room for creativity. If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room, In a previous post, I share the key ingredient for creativity. Watch it here >> What’s your DQ?
No struggle. No story. No story. No movie.
I remember listening to the Bohemian Rhapsody six months ago, for the very first time. (See, I told you I am not a music fan and do not know much about famous songs.) When I heard it first, I didn’t feel connected to the song at all. What I saw is “odd-looking” men singing. However, after knowing the backstory of Freddie, the band, their trials, I can’t get the song out of my head. Now, everything makes sense. I am rooting for the band. The life lesson here is this — if you want to inspire others, share your back stories, journeys and struggles so that others can hasten their progress or shorten their journey.
Spread your WINs
Freddie was outwardly successful, but he had no real friends or loving partner. The life lesson here is to have a balanced life. To be happy, balanced and fulfilled, you will need to make progress in all areas of life including wealth, health, family, friends and personal growth. If not, your life will become hollow and meaningless sooner than later.
It’s easy to wreck your life
Freddie becomes rudderless right after finding his right life partner, right band mates and his band’s success. He wrecks his life with unrestrained compulsive behaviours. Nothing fails like success. As we have seen in the life of several celebrities, reckless behaviour, lack of greater purpose, wrecks their lives.
You can mend your broken relationships by taking the first step.
Once he realises his mistake, Freddie quickly returns to the band. He apologies profusely, make amendments and fits right back in the family. In doing so, he rescues the band and secures his legacy. The life lesson is this — Many times our ego gets in our way and destroys valuable relationships. Be willing to check your ego at the door for the larger interest of your team and shared vision.
You have to be selfish before you can be selfless
Jim Hutton asks Freddie to love himself first, before he looks for relationships. The life lesson here is more profound than it appears. You can never build selfless relationships until you have taken care of yourselves first.
Call To Action: What lessons did you get from the movie? What experiences or memories do you have about the Queen band and their songs? What are your favourite songs? Leave your comments below.
Manoj Vasudevan is a Next Level Leadership Readiness expert, management consultant, and the World Champion of Public Speaking who helps executives and entrepreneurs to breakthrough to the Next Level of their career and life. Manoj is known for his expertise in simplifying complex topics into practical strategies. He is the CEO of Thought Expressions and holds an MBA from Imperial College, London. His books include the international bestseller Mastering Leadership The Mousetrap Way. He speaks at international conferences, multinational companies, universities, and around the world. As a coach, Manoj has proven track record in personal transformation and achieving leadership breakthroughs. CEOs, Senior Executives, UN Diplomats, Celebrities & Professionals from 27 nationalities have benefited from Manoj’s coaching and public programs.
