Here’s What the ‘Pill in Ibiza’ Guy, Mike Posner, Taught Me About Life
And why you should follow along with the guy, too.
Mike Posner — most famous for a few of his musical works like the aforementioned “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” — is one of my idols.
That song isn’t his only hit. He also has one of the top trending songs in the world right now, “Please Don’t Go”, thanks to recent TikTok fame. That song, along with another of his famous songs, “Cooler than Me”, debuted over a decade ago.
He also wrote mainstream, Grammy-nominated hits like Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” and Maroon 5’s “Sugar”.
Maybe you remember them.
In his Pill in Ibiza song, he sings,
“I’m just a singer who already blew his shot. I get along with old timers ’cause my name’s a reminder of a pop song people forgot.”
But did he really blow his shot?
Most of us would kill to reach the success he has seen. He’s humble.
And, just saying, obviously no one has forgotten about his pop songs because they’re trending a decade on. So, think again, Mike.
But that’s not what has drawn me to him in the past two years. As a matter of fact, taking a liking to his music has been a by-product of what initially attracted me to him.
“The Walk”
Way back in 2019, when the world was normal and people could do cool things, Mike Posner decided to do just that.
Sometime in 2018, at age 31, he announced he would walk the length of the United States. From some small symbolic park of New Jersey all the way to Venice Beach in California. East to West coast. More than 2,800 miles. In under a year.
That was his goal.
I tuned-in after he crossed out of New Jersey. He was only at the beginning of his journey and full of optimism.
I thought, this celebrity dude is crazy. There’s no way his rich-ass will stay committed. He’s only doing this as a publicity stunt.
But, then, I read more into Posner.
I learned of his humble qualities and listened to him in interviews. His motive was clear and consistent. He didn’t like the life he was leading.
Posner told Billboard that’s he wanted to take on the trip “for years and years.” It wasn’t until after the death of his father due to brain cancer in 2017 that he felt particularly motivated.
The following year, his friend and collaborator Avicii committed suicide. Then, his other friend Mac Miller died from an overdose.
“My dad died about a year and a half ago. That made me realize I had a list of things I wanted to do after doing what I thought I had to do.
When my dad died, I realized everyone wants you to forget you’re going to die. Because if they can convince you you’re not going to die, you’ll waste your time doing what they want you to do. . .
One day, I’m going to die, but before then, I’m going to live, live, live the way I want to live.”
https://www.adamcheshier.com/media/8a847135c390b2746442b14d48761eafListen to him speak before playing.
So, he walked. And walked some more. And more. First starting slow — ten miles a day — maybe fifteen. As he got more conditioned, his days became longer. Sometimes, he’d walk upward of 25 miles daily.
Along the way, his fans could follow along on his Instagram where he updated daily. He garnered some national media attention, but not nearly enough. His point wasn’t to bring attention to himself, anyway. He wasn’t even walking for a cause. He was genuinely walking for himself.
He’d host “Ninja shows” at random places along the way. Usually where he ended up every night. Sometimes, it’d be in a park of a town of 200 people. Sometimes, college campuses. And he invited all his Instagram followers to stop by if they were in the area.
He played acoustically for them, and free. They were meant to be intimate experiences. He’d sing without a microphone and ask his audience to sit on the ground in front of him. Sometimes there’d only been a few people there. It didn’t matter, though. He craved a better connection with his fans.
Near-death experience
Somewhere near the Kansas border in Colorado, Posner was surprised and bitten in the leg by a deadly rattlesnake. Within minutes, he was fearful for his life. A helicopter arrived just in the nick of time to spare him his life, but the road to recovery was a long one.
“Crazy day yesterday! I had just crushed 16 miles and was going for 8 more when I got bit by a baby rattlesnake!” he captioned a video of himself on a gurney.
Everyone thought the walk was over. Hell, he had half the country to go and doctors were talking about amputation. He was literally minutes away from losing his life.
But Posner persevered and followed his walk’s mantra, “keep going.”
Around a month or two later, after weeks of therapy, Posner traded his walker for leggings and walking boots. He went back to the exact place the rattlesnake bit him, and he continued on his path.
Walking across the western United States day after day, mile after mile, highway after highway, state after state. He kept going.
Triumph
In just six months — under half the time he had projected his walk to take, Posner, with his new lion’s mane and long hair, reached Venice Beach, California.
“I do know that I am not the same person I was when I started,” he continued. “I’m harder. I’m more authentic. I’m more real. I’m more myself. That’s the only trophy I need. Keep going.”
He was a beacon of light for me and so many others on his journey. Consistently full of positivity and inspirational messages. Showing his human side more-so than any celebrity I’ve ever witnessed.
I felt like a part of his journey as anyone. Some loyal fans even met up with him on the route to walk with him. He not only allowed it, but he invited it. What a guy.
I couldn’t be happier for him.
After “The Walk”
So, what came after The Walk for Mike Posner? I half-expected him to capitalize on the attention he received for completing the journey. Maybe he intended on touring but COVID got in the way. Who knows.
He hasn’t stopped the music, still releasing a handful of introspective, inspirational songs.
I highly recommend adding these songs to your favorite playlist: Nothing is Wrong, Slow it Down, Live Before I Die, Amen, and A Lonely Night in Mexico,
But he’s also found a hobby to keep his adrenaline pumping; mountain climbing.
Today, you can follow along with Posner on Instagram as he travels the world under the radar and climbs some of Earth’s tallest peaks.
He has somehow managed to transition his career while still staying relevant in the music industry. Major applause to that.
Still, he remains humble and focused on human connection on his new journey as you can see at this random guesthouse in Ecuador.
(Click here to be happy.)
I mean, come on, how can you not cheer for a guy like that. He is spreading joy everywhere he goes.
Mike Posner, you’ve got a fan in me. Keep doing your thing, keep making people realize there is more to life than how we’re told to live. Keep going.
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** This article was originally published at www.adamcheshier.com **
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