Inner Michael

What are the qualities of a legacy fan? Well if you’re speaking of anyone else who’s left the planet, that might mean fans who continue to play his music, who watch her archived films made during her lifetime, who may have a photograph or two or an album of photographs, maye and autograph or it might mean a stroll down nostalgia lane for a celebrity, artist, actor or musician who markes one’s milestones of a lifetime.

For Michael Jackson fans, it means something much different. It means accepting or rejecting the request to accept his plea (yes! it was a plea) “you are my legacy.” 

He didn’t say “my music is my legacy.” He didn’t say “my films are my legacy.” He didn’t say “my art is my legacy.”  He didn’t even say “my children are my legacy.” He said he wished for immortality. When the last person who knew you dies, what happens to your memory? Your legacy? What is left behind as your legacy is what you pass forward in the contributions you made to the world that leave it a better place than you found it. Your contributions live on in how you paid “it” forward for the next generation. 

And he said to the fans “you are my legacy.” That means if you are a fan, you are drafted as an ambassador of the future. The best ambassadors represent what they represent with consummate diplomacy. Michael becomes truly “the immortal” when his fans live his legacy.

Michael Jackson chose only the best and the brightest to work with, to represent him, to be considered “an extension of the man himself.” Michael admired women in particular who were “classy,” who carried themselves with dignity; he admired people in general who were discreet, dignified, loyal, trustworthy and savvy in how they maturely applied their skill and talent.

All of Michael’s collaborators say that Michael was: “the consummate professional; on time; respectful; humble, generous; hard working.” They also say that he commanded excellence and was able to coax from people the highest form of art they held inside dormant and unexpressed. He apparently was able to bring out the best in everyone he worked with and he did it with such love and subtlety that they had no awareness of what he was really doing. He was coach and cheerleader to many. 

He also did that for his fans. And he did it with both devotion and love. Yes, big LOVE. The highest form of love is to reach within someone you are mentoring, grasp the finest of what they are capable of giving and becoming, and pull it out of them. It’s like a midwife assisting in the birth of what is best in you. Then a mentor who is a master, steps back and allows you to see your own brilliance and to take credit for it. Yes, great mentors, teachers, gurus feel pride in their students but do not take credit for their mastery. Great masters demand no attribution and they delight in the talents of their mentees in their brightest form. That is true star quality.

And it’s spiritual. It is the unheard song of the soul—the divine within, the spark of the creator, the holy chalice that is the human. It is the grail quest of the individual human—to touch the brilliance inside and share it unconditionally with the world. Michael’s message was: ‘be all you are capable of being and do it in your own way and as only you can; be the best at what you do, hone your craft and perfect it. Then gift it to the world.’ He coached and groomed everyone he worked with to “bring it!”

Michael chose to hang with star quality people capable of showing attention to detail, who admired quality, who exercised discretion and restraint, who were loyal, who gave all for all, and those who understood that by standing with Michael, they were standing with their best effort. When people gave him their best he asked for more. And then more.

Should these standards also apply also to those who consider themselves his fans? Well, if you’re going to stand with Michael, you know what is expected. And if you are going to represent Michael, then there are certain standards that apply. And restraint until all the facts are known, is one of those standards—the moccasin test, if you will. Have you walked in those moccasins? Or at least imagined yourself in them?

It is important to know who you are and what you stand for. That is the beginning. Greek philosopher Socrates said “Know thyself.” The Oracle at Delphi said something similar so this is not a new concept. The new physics and quantum theory is teaching us that we are, and reality is, what we believe. So knowing who you are, what you believe, and what meaning you find in your life is what greatly impacts the world and contributes to the world reality. Everything is a spectrum—sound, light, consciousness. At the extremes, the world and humanity: soars on one end and crashes and burns on the other. 

Who is piloting the world? Who IS the pilot?

You are here because you have some kind of relationship to “Michael Jackson.” The relationship you have with Michael Jackson comes from how you define yourself because what you see in Michael is a resonance of what lives inside you. The great teachers use parable when they inhabit a body and walk around in the world of matter. In other words, they speak in many layers of meaning.

What you focus on becomes who you are, what choices you make and how you walk in the world of matter. Who you are being at any given moment is the gift that you bring to the world. Is your gift kind? Does it hurt or harm those around you? Or does it support and lift up? Are there conditions or requirements for your fellow human to gain your love? Or do you give it unconditionally? Do you have that down or does that need some work? Do you know that the world is all magnetics and that what you give out is what comes back to you? Have you asked “What more can I give?”

Michael Jackson fans have been through a lot. I know, because I have been there with them from the beginning of this adventure. It has not been easy. In fact, it is arduous and exhausting. There are some whose confusion about what was happening threatened to overtake their sanity. The grief was deep, the anguish exquisite. And infinitely puzzling.

What happened was a mass spiritual emergency followed by an awakening. It was Michael’s promise and his greatest gift to the world—the tender compassionate and loving human being emerges after heartbreak. The Phoenix arises from ashes, not from serenity. To step into the fire is what tempers a human being. The Bible calls it the “refiner’s fire.” Mystics call it “the dark night of the soul.” Shamans call it “Initiation” and “dismemberment.” In magic circles it is “alchemy.” In folklore it is the hero’s journey.  “Crucible” is another word that describes it. And all those T-words-“ transition”,” transformation,” “ transfiguration.”

It is not easy to stand in there—in the fire of the crucible. It  means certain death to the ego. It means a birth process with all the pains of labor and birthing– to become a new you. It’s dark in there. Those who underwent that process and understood or chose vindication work suffered even more. It was and is never-ending because of the mythology that surrounds him—both negative and positive. Fans have been subjected to and had to witness the most vicious language, salacious untrue rumors, vile descriptions, contemptuous lies, constant attacks on character, abusive mocking, racially charged demonstrations of bullying this world has ever seen and perpetrated on someone whose heart they know and admire for his humanitarianism and philanthropy. And they are witness to what was done to him by a world steeped in cynicism, racism, homophobia, fear…

Michael Jackson challenged and rattled to the bone. He excavated people’s deepest fears. And he did it deliberately. Those who do that kind of work on this planet are usually ridiculed and vilified by their own kind. That’s not a new story. And fans recognize Michael’s dedication to social issues of the world: children’s welfare, his call to others to join in the stewardship of humans on this planet. Michael’s message was a consistent one of love and making the world a better place: through his work: music, voice, lyrics, dance, choreography, costuming, cinematography, musicality, sonography, film and personal attention to so many individuals over his lifetime…

He rattled cages as well as bones. He called out the world for its shadow and apathy. Michael Jackson was more worried about the next world than this one. The next one we invented could be better and he dared to ask us to invent it. How dare he!

It is important to see the bigger picture and recognize the archetypes of Michael Jackson—the wounded healer, fallen angel, the teacher, hero, the innocent, the wise man, trickster, shapeshifter… this is not about Michael Jackson alone—it is about the world and the world’s longing.

A sudden trauma elicits three typical responses:
Fight
Flee
Freeze

That time is over. When doing the work of Michael’s legacy, it is important to understand that the FEAR and ANGER that is encountered is not “out there.” It is “in here.” All of life is comprised of movement and energy and emotions are no different. 

All matter is moving, all matter is at its core, energy. Emotions are energy. Those energies can be used to create. And they create harm or healing. Love or fear. And they lead to action– life affirming action or death dealing action. What is life affirming nourishes life and the human being. Death dealing behavior bullies, diminishes, attacks, destroys.

One can use fear or anger to impact for change or be consumed by it and succumb to cynicism– a world gone dark and unaware. Emotions are normal. Emotions are not wrong. How the emotions are used can be wrong because they can contribute like fertilizer to the fear and anger that already lives in the world or they can be used for healing. The time of the initial response of frozen shock and disbelief at his death is over.

The initial stages of grief are past. Anger is a natural part of grief but many were misguided in how their anger manifested—lashing out in all directions without awareness and without a strategy. It literally is “mindless.” It’s called flailing. A drowning person flails. In their panic, they flail and in their mindless panic, can lose their lives or take down with them, the rescuer person who’s trying to save them.

Many who began to channel their anger into vindication work found that the work of defending him was arduous, difficult and frought with unavoidable vitriolic anger because of the diametric contrast between “the fable that is Michael Jackson” and “Michael Jackson, the legend, the man, the legacy” as his fans, colleagues, acquaintances and family know him. The anger stems from the injustices in the treatment of this man. So many lashed out in anger while doing vindication. Some inadvertantly added to the problem and only reinforced the meme while giving themselves and other fans a bad reputation. While that behavior is understandable, an attack strategy does not make people listen (or even want to listen) and it does not win hearts.

And that’s the goal, isn’t it? To call people to their own hearts? Isn’t that what LOVE is? Isn’t that what it does?

There is an ancient story about a spiritual man who dared to challenge the culture of his own time and its ecosystem. There came seven avengers to silence him and end the audacious daring of this contemporary messenger and to dispatch him. Seven swords struck him at the same time cutting off body parts and slashing open his belly. As he lay on the ground bleeding and dying, he began to bequeath his belongings to his attackers, one by one– until all seven were benefactors of the generous heart of this dying man. They were so moved hearing his incredulous murmurings gifting his attackers and saw the magnitude of his heart, that they rushed him to a healer and saved his life. They became not just believers but protectors.

Cynical minds will see insanity; cynical minds will think the man foolhardy but his blanket compassion for all people, including his enemies, saved his life.

Michael Jackson, the most famous man on the planet showed that same kind of compassion while he championed endless causes. The most famous man on earth can be seen on a stage of thousands or on his knees with sick children. His talent from the time he was a child was so unusual and his rise to stardom so meteoric, that it gained a lot of attention. The world still wonders at the global popularity of this man and many still do not understand it, or him. Many remember only the media caricature. They need educating. How that is done leaves a lasting impression, a kind of “taste in the mouth.” The impression the messenger makes colors the message and how it is received.

Fans are the ones left behind to explain Michael to the world.

There are choices: 

1. Wonder at the target Michael became and spend time in anger and retaliation, lashing out at all within reach (fight)
2. Leave the MJ community behind. Close the computer, leave the forums, lick your wounds and carry on in a world that remains the way it was/is. (flee)
3. Stay mired in the anger, grief, sorrow and keep crying the tears, renting the cloth on your chest and wailing about the atrocity. (freeze)

Is there a 4th choice?

How about vowing to change the world? Not just curse it, blame it and wail about the carnage of Michael’s life, but actually embody the lesson and teach the world the lesson that can be gained from what happened. How about focusing on being the legacy as he requested by embodying the message, carrying it forward while working to live your best spiritual life? And while working on yourself, continuing the task of setting the record straight?

While none of us are likely to reach the stage of enlightenment of the spiritual man in the story, we are charged with the task to at the least begin the journey or continue the one we’re on. This is a wake up call. The time is now. The choice is here.

Without embodying the message, you are only doing the legacy lip service. Without being the legacy, Michael’s legacy and his life’s work fueled by his genius and creative imagination, counts for nothing but simple and fleeting entertainment. If you are not being the change, Michael’s dream goes unrealized and the world doesn’t change. If you are not talking the talk, walking the walk, dancing the dream, the dream does not come true. Get the picture? Good, let’s dance?

So.. if Michael himself were to put all his fans on stage (because this IS it) and took on the task of choosing his legacy team from all the contestants, what would Michael look for in a legacy “dancer?” If you were in the running to hang out with Michael the man in order to deliver his message, what kind of person would you have to be?

For example, would Michael approve of or tolerate rudeness, abusive language, or bullying? Fans know the answer to that. Michael Jackson performed the night before the most visible act of bullying in the U.S. occurred. He was in New York the morning of Nine Eleven. He was the most bullied man on earth. Do you think he approved of tactics that bully people?

 True ambassadors of Michael Jackson and his legacy would conduct themselves with diplomacy, class, savvy and dignity.

 Anything less would not represent Jackson. Michael would ask fans to put forth their best self.  And then he would ask for more. He would ask that those who claim to represent him—come from the heart and be wise. He would ask for conduct of class and dignity at all times. He would ask that you leave your ego at the door. For that is what a spiritually advanced person does.

Some of Michael’s ambassadors have already been chosen and others may be on the way or being prepared quietly in their hearts. They know who they are. Or they sense it. Michael may not be here to coach and to coax them and his fans and followers but he left behind a blueprint for the life of spiritual mastery…

That blueprint is about to appear here. If you feel the truth of that, sense the excitement, then let people know and get yourself in order for it. Get prepared. Do the assignment. We’ll leave the light on for you.