Music drives you. It wakes you up, it gets you pumping. And, at the end of the day, the correct tune will chill you down.
The worst advice I ever received from my dad was to play by the book.
Lessons didn't really work out for me, so I went to the old school, listening to records and learning what I wanted to learn.
When I tried to play something and screwed up, I'd hear some other note that would come into play. Then I started trying different things to find the beauty in it.
To me, a sure-fire way to get in a rut is by sitting around playing by yourself for too long. You've gotta get out there and jam, man! You don't have to necessarily be in a band, all you've gotta have...