“Begin to see yourself as a soul with a body rather than a body with a soul.”
This quote, by Wayne Dyer, has a way of making us think beyond the here and now–beyond the things that may be weighing us down and beyond our physical being. We are all so much more than our occupation, physical appearance, accomplishments, and shortcomings. It’s important to take care of our body. But in addition to that, how can we take care of our soul? It’s a part of us that’s all our own. One that can never be duplicated or imitated.
PositLive Music: “Better Days”
“Better Days” Written by: Ryan Tedder, Brent Kutzle, and John Nathaniel Released: March 25, 2020 The writers of this song, including lead singer Ryan Tedder, were inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic (Source). The promise of “better days” is in the context of a global pandemic. However, the lyrics to the song can be applied to any situation in which we might feel helpless. This song is about having hope that better days will come whenever we’re faced with such situations. Select PositLive Music: Lyrical Playlist to view all playlist songs as they’re being added.Select Exploring New Ways to PositLive to read about the inspiration for PositLive Music. “Better Days” Sung…
“Letting there be room for not knowing is the most important thing of all. When there’s a big disappointment, we don’t know if that’s the end of the story. It may just be the beginning of a great adventure.”
“Let there be room for not knowing.” This quote, by Pema Chödrön, is about finding comfort in not knowing. This sounds like a contradicting response to uncertainty. The typical and most natural response is anxiety and discomfort. However, not knowing can actually be the thing that takes away our sense of anxiety and discomfort. As this quote states, not knowing means we don’t know the end of the story; And what a beautiful thing that is. So when there’s a big disappointment, we don’t really know if it’s the beginning of something good. Therefore, we can replace our anxiety and discomfort in not knowing with a feeling of hope.
PositLive Music: “Put Your Records On”
“Put Your Records On” Written by: Corinne Bailey Rae, John Beck, and Steve Chrisanthou Released: February 20, 2006 First and foremost, this song is about marching to the beat of your own drum. It’s about not worrying so much about what people think and putting your worries aside. Furthermore, it’s about taking chances and having faith that things will work out in the end. In the song, Corinne Bailey Rae is singing to her younger self. She’s encouraging her younger self to fully embrace who she is (Source). Therefore, the lyrics read “Girl, put your records on.” However, the general message can be given to anyone. Select PositLive Music: Lyrical…
“Pray, and let God worry.”
There’s a lot of meaning and value packed into this short quote by Martin Luther. “Pray, and let God worry”–five words and two calls to action that can be life-altering. They seem simple, however it’s easy to forget to pray–step 1. And if and when we do pray, we forget step 2. We hang on to our worry instead of handing it over to God. Together, both steps may not come naturally. They may take time to develop and become a habit. They require a lot of faith and trust that everything will eventually work out for the best. But once mastered, it becomes much easier to surmount any of…
“The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible.”
This quote is from Linda Woolverton’s screen adaptations of Alice In Wonderland. It’s said by the characters Charles Kingsleigh (2010) and Alice Kingsleigh (2016). The quote reminds us that achieving what seems impossible requires some amount of hope and faith that it can be done. Naturally, our effort is commiserate to our belief in a positive outcome. In other words, it’s hard to put in the necessary effort if we feel like our effort will be in vain. Moreover, it’s harder to persevere through difficulties. Without hope and faith, we are more likely to give up or not try at all. Therefore, our most critical step in anything that seems…
“God has perfect timing; never early, never late. It takes a little patience and it takes a lot of faith, but it’s worth the wait.”
This quote (author unknown) is about recognizing that things happen at the right time according to His plan–never too early, never too late. We may not understand why things happen when they do. Only He does. We must have a little patience and a lot of faith that things will happen when they should for reasons beyond our comprehension. And when they do, it will be worth the wait.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12),” was written by Paul the Apostle in his letters to Rome. There are three parts to this very short verse; and each part carries a significant meaning on its own and an even greater meaning put together. Be joyful in hope. The hope that things will work out in the end has a way of bringing us joy even in the darkest of times. It means always looking forward with the belief that things will work out for the best some way or another–even if things do not look so bright now. It’s only a matter of time.…
“You’ve got to bumble forward into the unknown.”
The unknown is something we all have to face; and there’s so much of it in life. While planning and preparation can reduce uncertainty, they don’t remove it entirely. This quote, by trailblazing architect, Frank Gehry, is about having the courage to face each day, situation, or endeavor not necessarily having all the answers or a sense of certainty. Sometimes we just have to “bumble forward into the unknown.” And unfortunately, that is not a choice but a reality. Ultimately, we all have to “bumble” forward in one way or another. Recognizing this fact of life can help reduce our anxiety and increase our mental readiness when faced with life’s…
Living Life Poetically: In His Words
The poem,”In His Words,” can have a different meaning, or message, depending on what you’re going through or have gone through. Therefore, I’m not going to spend any time prescribing meaning. Instead, I will talk about its significance. The poem is structured around three bible verses from the New Testament. They are Matthew 16:24, Matthew 11:30, and 2 Corinthians 12:9–in that order. These verses are words spoken by Jesus and written in third person. In fact, the verses actually help make up the first line of each stanza. Meanwhile, the remaining words in each stanza express my reflection. Furthermore, the remaining words provide context and connection between each verse. Read,…
