What would Keith Richards do?
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My favorite life lessons from the legendary Rolling Stone.
I read Keith Richards’ book “Life” a good few years back, and I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much at a musical autobiography in my life. If his unique style isn’t enough to give you an idea of the kind of guy he is, his attitude to life might.
Never far from a “F**k off” to any prying reporter or person who irked him the wrong way, Keith’s got a great modus operandi that pretty much is all about living in the moment, not giving a toss about what anyone thinks and doing as he pleases (however, peeing on public property probably isn’t an act that you should indulge in.)
So in this brave new connected world of Instagram models, fake news and just trying to get by, what are three things that we can learn from the man, the myth, and the legendary Rolling Stone himself?
Be yourself
There’s no one else you can be, and one of these days it might lead to Johnny Depp using you as inspiration for a rambunctious pirate in the Caribbean. Okay well maybe not, but it’s hella boring to try and be the same as everyone else. Long story short, don’t be afraid to seize the day and express yourself truly - whether that’s wearing a leopard-print coat, skateboarding down the street or even just changing your hairstyle - you do you!
Don’t let old wounds fester
The Rolling Stones have had their fair share of inner bickering, partner-stealing and drug busts, but there’s something about the partnership that Keith shares with his fellow “Glimmer Twin” Mick Jagger, that never seems to break. Sure, it’s come close a few times (Mick did steal his then-girlfriend Anita Pallenberg in the 60s, and later tried going solo when the rest of the band weren’t too happy about it.) But despite all of this, the two are still extremely close friends to this day. They might have their differences, but so long as they can keep doing what they love, they tolerate one another. The lesson here? If you can’t forgive and forget the offending party, try to at least acknowledge it and let it go.
Life can knock you down, but it’s up to you whether you get back up
A number of years ago, our man Keith was holidaying in Fiji and fell out of a coconut tree and had to be flown to New Zealand (oh hey, where I’m from!) to have surgery on his brain to relieve a blood clot. Even experiencing a literal brain trauma can’t keep the man down, and I’ve got to take my hat off to him for that. If you’ve read “Life,” he also details greatly how his addiction to heroin was so devastating. However, even through that, he managed to push through. It goes to show that no matter what you’re going through in life, no matter where you are - you’ve got the power to overcome it. Trust in yourself to pursue the best outcome in life, and don’t give up on where you want to be headed.
“If I’ve come to any conclusion after many, many years of not knowing what the hell I’m doing, it’s to just do it.”
