I’d like to show how anyone interested in creative thinking can benefit from a simple life skill approach.
With writing, just a little advise can sometimes go a long way. Plus, I can usually manage to blend in some meaningful music quotes into the mix. I also find this manner of contemplation generates other great ideas. But, I must admit, every time I do this I wonder why I don’t do it more often. There just seems to be so many distractions in life. But that’s part of the process… continually reminding yourself of the benefits to you and others… letting your true feeling guide you.
For example, my way to express gratitude hangs on each letter of the word ‘HELP’: Help, Excited, Love, Proud.
Help:. I find its universal like friendship. So when Rob, my former band-mate passed away, I could feel the hole in my heart grow. At the end, saying he loved me like a brother… words that will never be forgotten despite the painful joy, but try we must.
“What would you think if I sang out of tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?”
~ With a Little Help from My Friends by the Beatles
Watch on YouTube
Excited: Today, as we stare down the specter of Covid-19 – the end is in sight. Yet, although millions have succumbed, it remains almost invisible to many more people who’ve not been touched personally. Out of sight; out of mind? As Bob Dylan asked in ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’, “Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see?”
Love: When you lose it, you’re lost. Yet, this most precious of gifts is sometimes taken for granted. If you have it, hold on to it.
Proud: We are so proud of our front line pandemic caregivers who work tirelessly on our behalf. They bring comfort to the sick and dying– when medical protocols mean we can’t. No one should have to die alone.
“But of all these friends and lovers,
There is no one compares with you”
~ In My Life by John Lennon
Also expressed so beautifully well by Sean Connery… his creative version of ‘In My Life’ says it best for me. Watch on YouTube
Yes, there’s a more targeted way to live our lives; I can see it, but it’s so hard to be it. There’s so much to do… so much to learn… so many ways to pay back. The thing is, how can we return all the undeserved love we’ve been given in our lives? As the Doobie Brothers sang it – “Without love, where would you be right now?” (Long Train Runnin’) Watch on YouTube
Paraphrasing Beatles’ producer George Martin, when you’re working with creative talent, you must let them be… guarding against excess yes but watching in amazement as they project their personality into a song… letting their genius shine through like nobody else can. So, thanks for the memories Sir George… we’ll miss you!
Finally, The Beatles, “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
Watch on YouTube
That’s the way I figure it. – FP
Photo Credit
Photo is from pixabay
First published at fredparry.ca
Guest Author Bio
Fred Parry
Fred Parry lives in Southern Ontario. He is a lover of people and a collector of stories, music, wisdom, and grandchildren. His raison d’etre? “I’m one of those people who believe that if my work serves the common good, it will last; if not, it will die with me. As a freelancer – including ten years as a Torstar columnist – I still believe that’s true.” His book, ‘The Music In Me’ (2013) Friesen Press is also available via Indigo / Chapters.
Blog / Website: www.fredparry.ca
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