Day 59 of Embracing the Wonders of Life: The Power of Wandering to Find New Melodies

Sometimes I go wandering on the internet without any specific intention. We often treat this as unfocused time. A waste. A distraction. But sometimes wandering is exactly what opens new doors.

A few weeks ago I found myself drifting through short movies on YouTube. One video led to another – until suddenly I ended up deep into the world of guitar performance videos. That’s where I came across Lari Basilio. I have many guitar heroes and inspirations. But Lari immediately went to the top of the list. Not only because she is a world-class virtuoso. Not only because her skill is exceptional. But because her compositions are deeply melodic, emotional, intentional. It is not her technique that makes the difference. It is the melody she creates from her technique.

Last week I actually had the opportunity to meet her at a concert in the Netherlands. And that experience left me with two reflections that I want to share.

The first: wandering is not always a negative thing. We have created a world where we over-structure everything. We add productivity to every minute. We treat every moment that is not “purposeful” as waste. But sometimes stepping outside your path, exploring a new field, letting curiosity lead – is how you discover something new. Serendipity is not an accident, it is an ingredient.

The second: mastery is not only about capability. In music. In thought leadership. In our careers. In business. Technique is only the foundation. Knowledge is only the raw material. What creates impact is what you build from it. It is the melody. It is the story. It is the emotional translation of skill into meaning.

As a thought leader, this is sometimes forgotten. We invest massively in skill and knowledge. We optimize technique. But the world remembers those who create melody. We follow those whose ideas carry emotion and resonance. We are moved by the story behind the capability.