No. 67 Wednesday, March 17, 2010
With Brian Brown
'The present, is a gift ... accept it!'
Fun and joke aside now ... don't you feel it? It's all around you; floating on the air(waves), on the tip of your tongue(ring), close enough to touch(me) ... fear, hopelessness, the 'I don't care or bizniz with nutten' attitude...all part of the moment.
With Brian Brown
'The present, is a gift ... accept it!'
Fun and joke aside now ... don't you feel it? It's all around you; floating on the air(waves), on the tip of your tongue(ring), close enough to touch(me) ... fear, hopelessness, the 'I don't care or bizniz with nutten' attitude...all part of the moment.
But we routinely don't appreciate the present for what it's worth, and it is priceless. Right now; this very moment, you are as alive as you'll ever be. Do you feel grateful, happy even? Probably not. Too many issues and headaches man, the bills, the problems, they just won't go away. Hmm, but it is a nice day isn't it? My family, children are healthy, in school, alive. But there's so much I want and don't have! That new car, new partner, a better life. While you were reading that, thousands of people around the world died, and likely at least one in Jamaica. Time is fast and unemotional, and owes you nothing. Use it for all its worth ...
LIVING IN ...
How does one rewire ones brain to live in the present, max out the moment? Truth is it'll probably never happen. There's the rear-view mirror past to contend with and dreamy hopes about what can be on the mirage that we call horizon. Are you ready to die right now? If someone stepped to you to rob you, attack you for whatever reason, is your structured, 'I'm in charge of my destiny' mind ready to accept this moment as your last? Are you ready for life, or death? It's not easy reading or comfortable conversation, but it is reality. Sure most of us are fortunate to not have a close friend or relative succumb to a fatal accident or violent crime, yet. But when it does happen, are we ever ready? Like anything else, living in the now takes discipline, individual confidence and a higher level of spiritual awareness. This is not an excuse to live recklessly like there is no tomorrow or only for the day as many ghetto youth truly feel is all they have. It is in fact the never achieved always elusive balance between history, now and the future. What you've done and learned, what you're doing now and what you hope to do. As kids we never bother with thoughts of impending death, we have forever to live for. Growing up teaches us about our. mortality and forces us to accept, even reluctantly and privately, that our time here will end, sooner than later. So, why not avoid thoughts of these worrisome issues and just live; work, play, eat, pro-create and die? Well, if like religious escapism reality is easier digested with feigned ignorance, then by all means, do what works for you. If on the other hand we seek to live life fully and more abundantly, we consider our guiding thoughts, our beliefs and direct our actions to the things we want to do. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?
SINGING WITH ...
Remember when you sang in the shower every day?
Do you still do that, as often? Or even in your rented car (it belongs to the bank remember?). Used to be that the scene from 'White Chicks' with the big man singing 'A Thousand Miles' with all the frills was the norm right? Ok, maybe not normal but some version of that was fun. The point is too many of us have lost that song in our hearts. And when the music fades, man, it just feels different, less something. It's as if the spirit is low on batteries, working but not at full capacity. There's a phrase for that; going through the motions. As a performer, it's not lost on me either that singing for the sake of singing happens less frequently than it used to. I mean I want to, but I guess like everybody else I'm too busy with important matters to satisfy my soul. Playing, singing, listening to music, having YOU time is important for your sanity. When spouse and family get on your last nerve, when your dead-end job or anal retentive boss has you preeing prison stripes, then it's time to pull a Lenny Kravitz - 'I wanna get away, I wanna flyyyyyy awayyyy, yeaahhh yeahhh .. .' The great thing is you don't need a U.S. Visa to escape. And even if you have one, that still doesn't guarantee that you're going anywhere. Admit it. Like the other Visa says, 'it's everywhere you want to be', and we can go 'there' mentally whenever we choose. We can't stand to see somebody who's just happy all the time, for no apparent reason. I don't mean like a looney tunes grin, just happy, smiling, all the damn time. I aint hating, but why are you so happy - ALL THE TIME?! The truth is if we see a group of persons laughing uncontrollably, we're curious and envious. That's human nature. We just want to be happy, that's it. If rich, sexy, power brings that, that's what I want. A song in my heart, pep in my step with the world as my oyster.
DYING FOR ...
Sadly, most of us confuse existing with living. Martin Luther King Jnr. said, "Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little." When we ignore our calling or conscience and turn our backs on our fellow man, and hide in plain sight from the truth, we're already dying, slowly, inside. To tell ourselves our lives are full when we know our soul is rotting and live to a ripe old age spiritually dead cannot be better than living out your destiny, even if it is brief. I for one will not be ashamed to look at myself in the Mirror should I reach age 50. I'd rather die trying than merely exist, hiding from the moment.
Email comments to brib74 (at) yahoo.com.
LIVING IN ...
How does one rewire ones brain to live in the present, max out the moment? Truth is it'll probably never happen. There's the rear-view mirror past to contend with and dreamy hopes about what can be on the mirage that we call horizon. Are you ready to die right now? If someone stepped to you to rob you, attack you for whatever reason, is your structured, 'I'm in charge of my destiny' mind ready to accept this moment as your last? Are you ready for life, or death? It's not easy reading or comfortable conversation, but it is reality. Sure most of us are fortunate to not have a close friend or relative succumb to a fatal accident or violent crime, yet. But when it does happen, are we ever ready? Like anything else, living in the now takes discipline, individual confidence and a higher level of spiritual awareness. This is not an excuse to live recklessly like there is no tomorrow or only for the day as many ghetto youth truly feel is all they have. It is in fact the never achieved always elusive balance between history, now and the future. What you've done and learned, what you're doing now and what you hope to do. As kids we never bother with thoughts of impending death, we have forever to live for. Growing up teaches us about our. mortality and forces us to accept, even reluctantly and privately, that our time here will end, sooner than later. So, why not avoid thoughts of these worrisome issues and just live; work, play, eat, pro-create and die? Well, if like religious escapism reality is easier digested with feigned ignorance, then by all means, do what works for you. If on the other hand we seek to live life fully and more abundantly, we consider our guiding thoughts, our beliefs and direct our actions to the things we want to do. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?
SINGING WITH ...
Remember when you sang in the shower every day?
Do you still do that, as often? Or even in your rented car (it belongs to the bank remember?). Used to be that the scene from 'White Chicks' with the big man singing 'A Thousand Miles' with all the frills was the norm right? Ok, maybe not normal but some version of that was fun. The point is too many of us have lost that song in our hearts. And when the music fades, man, it just feels different, less something. It's as if the spirit is low on batteries, working but not at full capacity. There's a phrase for that; going through the motions. As a performer, it's not lost on me either that singing for the sake of singing happens less frequently than it used to. I mean I want to, but I guess like everybody else I'm too busy with important matters to satisfy my soul. Playing, singing, listening to music, having YOU time is important for your sanity. When spouse and family get on your last nerve, when your dead-end job or anal retentive boss has you preeing prison stripes, then it's time to pull a Lenny Kravitz - 'I wanna get away, I wanna flyyyyyy awayyyy, yeaahhh yeahhh .. .' The great thing is you don't need a U.S. Visa to escape. And even if you have one, that still doesn't guarantee that you're going anywhere. Admit it. Like the other Visa says, 'it's everywhere you want to be', and we can go 'there' mentally whenever we choose. We can't stand to see somebody who's just happy all the time, for no apparent reason. I don't mean like a looney tunes grin, just happy, smiling, all the damn time. I aint hating, but why are you so happy - ALL THE TIME?! The truth is if we see a group of persons laughing uncontrollably, we're curious and envious. That's human nature. We just want to be happy, that's it. If rich, sexy, power brings that, that's what I want. A song in my heart, pep in my step with the world as my oyster.
DYING FOR ...
Sadly, most of us confuse existing with living. Martin Luther King Jnr. said, "Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little." When we ignore our calling or conscience and turn our backs on our fellow man, and hide in plain sight from the truth, we're already dying, slowly, inside. To tell ourselves our lives are full when we know our soul is rotting and live to a ripe old age spiritually dead cannot be better than living out your destiny, even if it is brief. I for one will not be ashamed to look at myself in the Mirror should I reach age 50. I'd rather die trying than merely exist, hiding from the moment.
Email comments to brib74 (at) yahoo.com.
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