2019
Walk Across America
2,800 miles, coast to coast, on foot.
Watch on YouTube
hi, I'm mike…
My name is Mike Posner, and I'm an artist, speaker, endurance athlete, lover of broccoli sprouts, disciple of Christ, work in progress, spiritual teacher, spiritual student — and in my best moments, a carrier of light to others.
My mission in this life is to be a blessing, love people, and have an absolute ball sharing the gifts God has given me. I've had an interesting life, but I'll make it short and sweet.
Musician
Endurance Athlete
Spiritual Teacher
Age 0
Born in Detroit on a very, very, very, very, very, very cold day.
Age 8
Already a sad, lonely kid. Started rapping.
Age 9
Recorded my first song.
Age 13
Used my bar mitzvah money to buy a keyboard and a microphone.
Age 15
Existentially sad to the point of depression — not kill-yourself sad, more there's-no-point-to-this-life-is-there sad.
Age 18
Recorded and released my first album. Sold it out of the trunk of my car to my classmates — made $700. Went to Duke University, still depressed. Met Big Sean and became part of his crew.
Age 20
Wrote and recorded a song called "Cooler Than Me" in my dorm room.
Age 22
"Cooler Than Me" became popular — like, really popular. Signed a record deal, got famous. Still depressed.
Age 24
The wave of fame died. Still depressed. Learned guitar and piano. Big Sean gave me Ask and It Is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho — and a spiritual dimension opened up in my life.
Age 25
Met Ram Dass — living proof that true love exists.
Age 26
Wrote "Sugar" for Maroon 5 and "Boyfriend" for Justin Bieber. My solo career was still considered over by most of the music industry.
Age 27
Wrote "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" on an airplane and released it.
Age 28
"I Took a Pill in Ibiza" became popular — like, number-one-song-in-the-country popular. Uh oh, I was famous again. But spoiler alert: I was still depressed.
Age 29
My father died.
Age 30
My friend Avicii took his own life. My friend Ronnie died. My colleague Mac Miller died of an overdose. I did the Landmark Forum and looooong meditation retreats, and realized I was going to die — so I'd better get around to living. But if I'm honest, the baseline emotion of my life was still sadness.
Age 33
Age 34
I made a lot of money — and guess what… I was more depressed than ever.
Age 35
I went to Tony Robbins' Date with Destiny and remembered who I actually am — and cured my own depression. I am joy. I am faith. I am love!
Age 36
I fell in love with the love of my life.
Age 37
I proposed. She said yes. :)
Age 38
Christ moved in my life and I accepted Jesus. I hiked the Continental Divide Trail (to stay in integrity, I only hiked 2,400 miles — I missed 400 when I hurt my knee, and I still intend to do those to honor my word to myself). I am here to serve.
All that to say: I've had a wild, crazy life full of external accomplishments. Some have been monetary, some clout-based, some involved fame, and some involved wild physical feats like climbing Everest or walking across America twice. But my greatest accomplishment is this — I went from a person whose baseline emotional state was cynical, resentful, and depressed to a person whose baseline emotional state is joy, faith, and, even deeper than those, love.
My life's mission is now to help other people on that journey. Because you are a wonderful human — more wonderful than you realize — and you deserve to enjoy your life.
I love you, and thank you for reading this. God bless you.