I could feel the world changing.
The article below was written in December 2019, just before the crazy 2020 mess. I could feel a new change coming. I could feel it in my bones. And I even told a loved one about it, although I didn’t know exactly what it was all about at the time.
The message in this journal entry still rings true as we yearn to let go of all the “bad” things that weigh us down. My guess, is that we are in for another rockin’ and rollin’ ‘24 year, so let’s “be about your business” as the wise elders might say and strive to know ourselves more.
Why let go? to make space in our lives, in our homes, in our relationships and in our hearts so that we can live more brilliantly doing the music that constantly asks us to pay more attention to it.
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Truthfully, I don’t really like the word sacrifice.
Mostly because it’s a misnomer and an old word that means old things.
Sometimes we are under the impression that we must painfully sacrifice something in order to get something else.
The word sacrifice is what we commonly assign to brave people who are willing to give up something they are accustomed too. In ancient times, it meant something a lot harsher, like killing an animal as an offering, burning a person at the stake or perhaps adopting some painful personal act that somehow represented spiritual humbleness.
The 21st century version of the word sacrifice, however, really means a willingness to let go of old things so that we have space to in our brains to allow better things to flow in.
BTW, you don’t have to try hard to let things go. Over lunch a few weeks ago, a wise friend of mine reminded me that even an autumn tree doesn’t have to work hard to let go of a leaf. It just does.
I’ve been making small shifts for a few months now – less swiping right to see the news on my phone, less beef intake and better food choices. My new fav is stopping (often around 3pm) to sip on some new delicious variety of hot tea.
What I’m slowly understanding is that nothing - and I mean nothing - is important enough to take away my peace of mind. I have come to understand that I deserve some calm and ease - simply because it feels so good.
But it’s up to me to make the changes, no matter what the circumstances around me dictate.
Focus in on the small moments. Let go of the old memories that hurt and the old patterns of behavior that you know aren’t useful anymore. Do some forgiving. Just let these things gently fall away. They are not important anyway.
Like many of you, I’ve been feeling the shift of a new decade on the horizon. So, as we lock into a new decade and jump back into our music, prime yourself first with small changes that feel good.
Your brain and body will thank you for the small shifts of change you make – for the tiniest of sacrifices.
As the fog of the last decade melts away, you will have more space to focus in on what you really want from your musical life.
What’s important for you? What excites you in 2020? What do you want to do?
I think you know the answers.