A Powerful Lesson from Toby Keith

On February 5, 2024, the world lost an entertainment icon in Toby Keith.

A country music titan and legendary songwriter who left us too soon.

But his words remain.

In his songs.

And in one of his final television interviews.

The conversation turned to the song he sang at the People’s Choice Country Awards where he was honored as a country music icon.

The song, Don’t Let the Old Man In, was delivered in typical Toby fashion.

A strong ballad that reaches into your soul and draws you in.

And while the singing cowboy looked “weathered and worn” his voice was as strong and dominant as it ever was.

It was the performance of a lifetime.

During his last interview, he told the backstory of the song which was written for his friend Clint Eastwood who on his 88th birthday was beginning work on a new film called The Mule.

Toby and Clint were playing in a golf tournament together when Toby asked a question.

He said, “How do you keep going?” Clint said, “I get up every day, go outside, and don’t let the old man in.”

That line would become an obsession for the songwriter.

A beautiful birthday gift for his friend who decided to put the song in his movie.

The movie didn’t achieve great box office success. Consequently, the song didn’t do as well as Toby had hoped.

That is until he sang it at The People’s Choice Country Awards, and it shot straight to number one.

Toby said, “It finally found its home. A good song always finds a home.”

Here’s the lesson.

Sometimes we push something out and the world’s not ready for it.

That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a masterpiece.

It just means it might take some time for it to find its home.

For people to see the value of it.

For you to grow into it.

Toby thought he wrote that song for Clint Eastwood.

And that most certainly was his intention.

But as it turns out, he was writing that song for himself.

And for us.

What’s inside of you?

A book.

A song.

A movie.

A business.

Push it out and let it fly.

But just know that it might take a minute for it to find its home.

And when it does, it becomes something extraordinary.

Which is always worth waiting for.

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Kevin D. Brown is a branding and culture expert. He’s an award-winning motivational speaker, bestselling author, and the creator of The Hero Effect®. Follow him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.