Ever have one of those moments when you’re listening to the radio, and you realize every song is a perfect reflection of the current cultural milieu?
As a social studies teacher/historian/anthropologist by training, I tend to (over) analyze the world around me. A song on the radio is not simply an entertaining melody; it’s an expression of our shared anxieties, hopes, and fears.
So, 80’s girl that I am, I’ve put together a little Mindful Mix Tape for you. Now you can rock out to the Biebster and Flo Rida and call it a mindfulness lesson.
Caution: mindful earworms ahead…
The first lesson we learn if our radio is on for more than forty-two seconds is that…
We’re Stressed Out
I was told when I get older all my fears would shrink,
But now I’m insecure and I care what people think.
Who doesn’t dream of returning to their childhood? Who doesn’t curse their money woes (especially on tax day!) and wish they could hang out in a treehouse for a while and then let mom tuck them in for a nap?
But you know what? We are not the first generation to be stressed out. Yes, we’re the first to make videos about our stress on YouTube, but pining for the “good ol’ days” seems to be a universal human activity.
A German writer commenting on the speed of modern life nostalgically recalls the slow and leisurely pace of the past, remarking that current modes of transport are so fast he can no longer “see or hear properly.”
Sound familiar? It was written in 1784.
Or perhaps you can understand this description of the world by a government official: Today we face violence and surprise attacks. The social cohesion and group solidarity of the past are crumbling. Traditions are weakening. Individualism and selfishness run rampant.
Was that a line from a recent presidential debate? Nope, that was Confucius’ assessment of the world 2500 years ago.
We always pine for the past, but change is inevitable… and sometimes wonderful. (Think how much easier it is to make a mix tape these days! No more waiting for hours for your favorite song to come on the radio, and then tripping on your jelly shoes as you run to your boom box to hit record!)
No, we are not the first ones to be stressed out.
So…
You Should Go and Love Yourself
Been burned by the Biebs, or some other bully? Show yourself some compassion.
I’m pretty sure the crooning Canadian is actually telling you to go f#@& yourself, but let’s just take those words at face value: go love yourself instead.
It doesn’t matter if someone’s mama don’t like you (even though she likes everyone) … you can still love yourself.
You can do kind things for yourself. For example, you could…
Eat Cake by the Ocean
I confess, I originally thought this song was actually about an innocent pastry picnic near a relaxing body of water, not realizing it had a more… “adult” form of seaside pleasure in mind.
But I’m just going to assume that most of us do not have the geographic, relational, and/or dispositional qualities necessary to take this song at either its literal or euphemistic value. Let’s just pretend it means “do something sweet for yourself.”
So treat yourself to the things you like. Take time for yourself. Engage in some nourishing self-care. Go for a walk. Hey, go wild and eat a quinoa muffin in your zen garden. *wink wink*
Just don’t waste your time because…
Soon You’ll Be Sixty Years Old
When asked by Oprah if he believed in life after death, Jon Kabat-Zinn replied that he was still trying to figure out if there was life before death.
Research says we spend half of our day with our attention on something other than what we’re doing in the present moment. That’s half our LIFE that we are, literally, not present for.
The years go fast enough, without us hastening their passage with our distraction.
How will we see the world when we’re sixty?
Will I think the world is cold
Or will I have a lot of children who can warm me?
Will we spend our days — and our years — actually attending to ourselves and our loved ones? Will we spend our days being fully present… even when things are tough?
I know it can be hard… so when you DO hit those tough emotions, you just say…
Welcome to My House
I’m certain this song was inspired by the thirteenth-century mystic Rumi. In his lovely poem The Guest House, Rumi implores us to greet our emotions, even the negative ones, as welcome visitors:
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
And I’m positive that’s what Flo Rida means when he says
so you come on in
Make yourself at my home, tell me where you been
Pour yourself something cold, baby, cheers to this
Sometimes you gotta stay in
Yep, sometimes you gotta stay in, because the only way out of the mess is through the mess. So when Flo Rida says we need to close the blinds, put our clothes on the floor and get naked with our— … oh, wait…. he’s eating cake, isn’t he? Damn it.
Well, let’s just go with the first interpretation. Welcome your emotions. They know where you live, after all.
And if you’re still stressed out, there’s always someone who’s only…
We are social beings. Connecting with others is not optional; it’s a fundamental human need.
So reach out and call someone — and it’s so easy to do that now (remember having to search to find a pay phone?)
You can even call me and I’ll regale you with all the songs I’ve misinterpreted.
And I’ll have the quinoa muffins ready. Literally.
- A Mindful Approach to New Year’s Resolutions - January 13, 2020
- Just This Next Step - December 16, 2019
- WAIT: A Mindfulness Practice for Waiting in Line - December 9, 2019
