Listening to the melody of life
Let your heart guide you. It whispers, so listen closely
~The Land Before Time
We’ve all got beautiful music within us.
No, I’m not saying you could be a rock star, or conduct the London Symphony Orchestra. (Although, maybe you could?) But in each of us is a melody, just waiting to be heard. And not just in the shower.
Your melody is your calling. It’s your reason for getting out of bed every morning. It’s the song you sing, the words you write, the love you share, the person you help, the home you create, the child you nurture, the flowers you grow.
We feel the melody, deep within, calling out to us, longing to be heard.
Sometimes we hear a faint echo as we move through the chaos and busyness that is our day. A faint hint of possibility. Of what could be, if only we had the time. Or the energy. Or the courage.
This month, I’d like to encourage you to tune in to that inner possibility, to not only listen to the melody but to hear and to act.
Sometimes it’s as if we need a key to that melody… something that unlocks the hidden compartment and let’s our music soar. I’ve found music, listening, quiet, giving and nature to be some of the best:
- Music. I had forgotten until recently how inspirational great music can be. I had gotten out of the habit of playing music and found myself anxious, plaugued by worry and tensing at the slightest pressure. Recently I remembered a time when I’d put beautiful music on, fairly loud, to play as I worked, as I did housework, as I relaxed. Music not only soothes frazzled nerves and calms an overstimulated mind, it opens a doorway to your soul. When was the last time you listened to something sublime, something achingly beautiful and let each note waft through your home on a direct path to your heart?
- Listening. Sometimes we need to be heard. And sometimes we need to listen. Suspend judgement, turn off the inner voice that’s waiting to have it’s next turn to speak, and simply listen to someone you love until you really hear their soul. Tuning in to the soul of one you love - parent, child, lover or friend - allows your own heart to echo with their joy at being heard.
Quiet. Solitude and quiet are balms to our weary mind and heart. Our days are full of noise, hustle and bustle, busyness. I think Sarah Ban Breathnach says it so well “Deliberately seeking solitude—quality time spent away from family and friends—may seem selfish. It is not. Solitude is as necessary for our creative spirits to develop and flourish as are sleep and food for our bodies“
- Giving. Mother Theresa said it best “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” When we share what we have and who we are, we find we have more and more to give.
- Nature. Watching the beauty of a sunset, breathing deeply in the middle of a forest, smelling the glory of a full blown rose, feeling the texture of bark on a ghost gum, vibrating with the pounding of waves on the beach. Mother Nature has the key to our hearts, and can open that door to the possibilities that reside within. Let her show you the beauty of your own melody.
Knock on the sky
and listen to the sound
~Zen saying
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Karen, I decided to open the magazine on this page, and I’m so glad I did. What a wonderful piece of writing and a great illustration of the wonders of tuning in, even to the whispers and the quiet.
I’m very interested in the relationship between our inner music and the words that we write. Does your writing sound like music to you I wonder?
Joanna
As I read the last paragraph, about nature, my ears tuned in not to the sound of the computer humming or the tick of the clock, but the birds singing outside my window. Thanks for the reminder to let them in more.
[...] is Tuning In including some great contributions on listening to what your stuff is telling you and tuning into the melody of life. My article in the Writing Space asks Are You Tuned In To The Power Of Your Own Words? Because [...]
What a beautiful article. Thank you.
Joanna, thank you so much, I am thrilled that you liked this, that means a lot to me, especially coming from you.
Interesting question you ask about whether my writing sounds like music to me. I guess the answer is yes, sometimes.
Some books I have read bring back clearly the music that I played as I read it, and also when I hear the music I remember the feel of the book… an example is the first time I read The Lord of the Rings, when I was about 11. Every Sunday, after a roast lunch, my parents would sit quietly in the lounge and play beautiful music (from records) and I’d often grab a book and sit with them. I can now not hear a Beethoven Piano Concerto (especially the Emperor - No. 5) without being reminded of Frodo’s journey.
Thanks for the question - I’m going to start taking notice more of the links between music and writing in my life.
Angela, wow - I am so pleased that my words helped to tune into the world outside your window. It’s very precious to be able to work where you can hear birdsong, isn’t it?
Hi Anne,
thanks so much for visitng and leaving a comment here. I appreciate your enjoyment of my words.