I Only Want The Best For You

It was a chilly night in Duluth, Georgia. I don't know if the goosebumps were from the temperature or the sheer excitement I was feeling. We had arrived at Gas South Arena, home of the Gwinnett Gladiators, a minor league ice hockey team, to see one of my bucket-list bands perform. I was looking forward to hearing Need to Breath, but the real reason behind my childlike joy was the opening band Judah and the Lion.

There is something magical about a live concert. On this night, about 8,000 people gathered to listen, sing, dance, cry, sit, stand, and simply enjoy two of their favorite bands.

It was an evening of pure bliss. No one seemed to care what the person next to or in front of them was doing. Live concerts have this unspoken agreement of “you do you.”

And that feels sacred to me. There aren’t many spaces where we accept how strangers express themselves in public.

If you aren’t familiar with Judah and the Lion, let me share a few facts. I’ve been a fan of their music for a long time. The lead singer, Judah Akers, is a fellow Belmont University graduate. Their music is hopeful without being sappy, and they are as high-energy as it gets. They are a band that genuinely values their fans, and they seek to bring their best to every show. This was the last night of their fall tour, and they certainly brought their A-game.

A few months ago, they released a new single, and I was surprised when they performed this song. Since it was new, the lead singer took the time to teach the audience the chorus. And then, he invited us to sing along.

The chorus says, “I want the best, I only want the best for, I want the best, I only want the best for, I want the best, I only want the best for you.”

There we were, 8,000 strangers, standing in the dark, singing this phrase over and over again. At one point, the audience continued to sing after Judah stepped back from the microphone, and that’s when it hit me. Hearing 8,000 strangers singing that chorus, well, how could I not feel like they were singing those words to me?

I paused and listened. I took a few deep breaths and stayed in the moment. I didn’t just hear the chorus, I felt it, and realized the power of such a simple phrase, “I want the best, I only want the best for you.”

It felt like time stopped and I thought about all the people I wanted to say those words to. Those in my life work so hard to make a difference.

The teachers I work with who are running on empty, rarely being appreciated for the ways they are investing in the next generation.

The leaders I partner with who choose to serve their people, not rule over them. They approach leadership by walking with others rather than being rooted in power.

The entrepreneurs I mentor who wake up every day and face new challenges because they know the world needs the thing they are doing.

The researchers I teach in the Leadership and Management in Action Program who are in their labs before the sun is up and don’t return home until after the sun sets because their work is literally saves lives.

The coaches and athletes I with work who push their bodies and minds to extreme levels just so we can watch a game, forget about our struggles, and celebrate their wins as our own wins.

I want all these people ¬– and YOU – to know that I only want the best for you.

As we sang that chorus for the last time, I heard myself singing. I realized that while it was incredibly moving to listen to strangers singing those words – and I felt hope in sharing those words with others – the real power was in letting me sing the chorus to myself. “Hey, self, I only want the best for you.” Hearing those words as a personal message transformed that moment from powerful to empowered.

This year has been a journey, one for the books! I am in the middle of an 18-month process of transforming my business, and since I am a solopreneur, any transformation of my professional life also requires an openness to personal transformation. It’s been some of the hardest work I’ve ever done.

As 2023 comes to a close, I invite you to say it with me, repeat after me, take it in, and know these words were written for no one else but you, “I only want the best for you.”

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