Now, let’s return to the lenses. While initially, it may seem like the goal would be to remove anything that stands between the eye of the Self and the Truth of reality, that is actually not the explicit goal. We need to be able to move the barriers and see unobstructed, but such sight is realistically only useful for the individual. It is essential to have the understanding that, as you gain clarity and insight into the Self and the Truth of reality, your perspective will differ from that of others. Knowing this, we must retain the ability to see through the lenses and switch them at will.
This gives us the ability to understand the way that others see things- and this is incredibly necessary if you have any intention of interacting with others. Unless, of course, your intent is to renounce society and become a monk, but as it is said, “Enlightenment is found not in the monastery but the marketplace.” It is one thing to have knowledge of Self, but the process of understanding the dynamics of others is another adventure entirely- and if we are to save the world, it’s an adventure we have to choose. No man is an island- although the Self is as a man on one.
This is where we will end for now- in the next chapter I will discuss the chains of attachment that must be broken for us to liberate ourselves, both from the lenses of the mind and also from those we interact with in life.
Melodies of the Mind: Using Music To Change Your Mood
If you haven’t been living on the moon for the past 20 years, you’ve probably realized that music can definitely have an effect on your mood. Whether it’s listening to LoFi Hip-Hop Beats Mix for Studying, some Studio Ghibli Cafe Jazz, or The Best Of Vocal Deep House Chill Out, there’s obviously a connection between what you’re listening to and how it makes you feel. If those titles look familiar, it’s because they’re some of the most popular playlists on Youtube. More importantly, they each have a specific vibe- listen and tell me you don’t agree. However, you already knew that music was related to your mood, so what we’re going to do is talk about using music to change your mood.
Be warned, once you learn about using music to change your mood, you’ll never hear songs the same way again. If you don’t want to wake up, then stay asleep and stop reading now.
Still here? Let’s go.
The first thing you need to do is take a hard look at the lyrics.
Frank Ocean put it perfectly:
“When you’re happy, you enjoy the music but when you’re sad, you understand the lyrics.”
A lot of times in life, we don’t get too in depth with what we’re doing- you watch a movie and enjoy the plot but don’t see the deeper meaning, or you listen to a song and don’t realize what it’s really about.
Think I’m wrong? Ever heard Closing Time by Semisonic?
If you’re like me, you probably thought this song was about a bar closing- it’s called Closing Time, after all! If you did, then you’d be as wrong as I was.
It’s about giving birth.
Don’t believe me? Strap in, you’ll never hear the song the same way again:
Read the lyrics, then listen to the song again. You literally can’t unhear that- you’re welcome. The line that gets me every time now is:
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end… yeah!”
If you knew that one, then go look up what James Blunt’s hit “You’re Beautiful” is about- here’s a hint: it’s about a homeless guy on drugs on the subway. I could do this all day, but the fun is in figuring it out yourself.
Now, you may be asking, why did I bring this up?
If you know that music has a vibe, and that vibe affects your mood, then it stands to reason that the lyrics play a part in that, too, right? I don’t think that’s a huge leap, in fact, I’m certain of it. If you’re not familiar with the idea of affirmations, I’ll summarize: some people believe that by repeating certain positive statements, they can reprogram your subconscious to be more positive.
If repeating statements to yourself changes your subconscious, imagine how much more powerful listening to music might be?
This is the dangerous part, though: a lot of the music in our culture, especially the popular stuff, isn’t exactly the greatest lyrically. A great example of this is that song (that I refuse to name) by a certain rapper, in which he talks about his friends being dead and abusing drugs.
Now, think about how the repetition of this sort of lyrical content might be affecting you subconsciously. If you’re in the younger generations, you know that depression is becoming more common- I’m sure there’s a relation, but I don’t know if it’s cause or effect. Maybe both?
I’ve been doing an experiment for the past two months or so- I made a playlist of all the songs I have on my phone that only have positive lyrics. What I’ve been doing is playing it at night, quietly, while I’ve been sleeping.
You’d be amazed at the difference it has made. My motivation has improved, I’m in a better mood overall, and I’m more optimistic than usual. If you’re sad, depressed, or just curious to try it yourself and change your mood the easiest possible way, start by going through and really reading the lyrics to some of the stuff you listen to most. You might be surprised.
A really great (and very tragic) example of how we don’t actually think about songs we like is easy to see in all the stuff that the late, great Chester Bennington wrote for Linkin Park. Go listen to almost any LP song, read the lyrics, and tell me it wasn’t obvious that Chester was depressed for years. It’s not just Linkin Park- there are so many musicians that are depressed and write sad songs, but we never notice until it’s too late.
Anyway, I’m not trying to make this any more depressing of an article than it has to be- we’re here to change your mood for the better! It might take an hour to make yourself a positive, uplifting, or motivational playlist, but I promise you, it’s worth it. It’s cheaper than going to the doctor and more fun than taking medicine.
The last thing I’ll say is this:
Once you realize that so much of music is sad, you’ll start to see it in other things. There are more and more dystopian future movies, books about zombie apocalypses, and TV shows about just generally bad stuff happening.
However, this is not the way the world has to be.
You have the power to change your perception, and if you change your perception, the world will change as well.
Don’t despair, the world you want to see is still possible-
Sing the world a beautiful song. Give them a reason to celebrate.
What will your song be?
Get To Know Your Town: In Search of Community
Over the past few years, I’ve lived in a variety of different cities across the country. In the process, I’ve stumbled upon a fascinating secret that most people will never know. Actually, I’ve learned more than one secret, like the fact that the man who owns Smitty’s Greenlight Tavern in Pueblo, CO, lives upstairs and, when the moon is just right, fishes for homeless people with a rod mounted from his windowsill, using only cigarettes as bait. However, unless you’re a vagrant chasing a levitating cig in downtown Pueblo, that’s a bit more interesting than practical. With that being said, here is the hidden truth revealed to me by travel: your town is cooler than you think.
“Balderdash,” you say, “my town is boring and nothing interesting happens here.”
I know the feeling, I lived in Jacksonville, North Carolina for far too long, and if you have even a passing familiarity with that town you’ll know what a wretched place it is. However, even in good old J-Action-ville, there was still a trick to making the best of it. Before we get started, however, you’re going to have to forget everything you know about the place you live in. We’re going to be using my wonderful city of residence, Reno, for this example, but I promise you, this works anywhere except perhaps the smallest of podunks.
The first thing you’ll need to have is an excuse to hang out in a coffee shop. On my end, that’s not hard considering I do all of my writing for this website in the Starbucks on Plumb
Lane. However, from time to time I’ll also hit up the fantastic local coffee bar, Global Coffee, whenever I get writer’s block. A café is one of the easiest places to meet interesting people in town- so pick one in an area that’s near some things you’re interested in. If you like art, then hang out at the coffee shop across the street from a studio and you’ll inevitably end up meeting some artists.
Now that you’ve got a spot for being productive, it’s time to get cleaned up. The next thing you’re going to have to find is a place to get your hair cut that isn’t a chain with a name ending in -clips or -cuts. Shopping around is encouraged here- choosing a good barber is among the most serious commitments one can make in life, and, as such, should not be taken lightly. I go to Derby Supply Company, a 1920’s style hybrid of a barbershop and a speakeasy that serves up fresh cuts and fine scotch. Bonus points if your barber (shout out to Chris Bonde) is a local – they’ll be able to point you in the direction of more interesting parts of town.
Hopefully, at this point, you’re looking better than when we started- now it’s time to find a good bookstore. No, that does not mean Barnes and Noble- we’re trying to stay local and avoid chains. (Except for my Starbucks hypocrisy- once everyone knows your name, you’re kind of stuck.) Personally, I like my bookstores a bit on the disorganized side, and you’ll know you’ve found a good one when there are books piled on top of each other. There are two in town that I have found to be really excellent. The first, Sundance Books and Music, gets bonus points for having a room called “Mind-Body-Spirit,” as well as for having the best locale: an awesome old house. My other favorite bookstore, The Book Gallery, has a massive collection of used books (which are vastly cheaper than new ones, for the record).
Having learned something, now it’s time to get some food. This is one of the easiest ways to really get to know the place you live in. Frankly, I don’t think there is a single town in this country that doesn’t have a fantastic restaurant hiding somewhere in it. (Try and prove me wrong, I dare you.)
If you’re like me, the first place you should try to find is a good diner- and if you can manage to become a regular there, even better. Reno has two that I particularly enjoy. The first is Peg’s Glorified Ham N Eggs, a magnificent local chain voted “Best Breakfast in America” by Esquire- and it does not disappoint. If you’re looking for something that approaches gourmet for breakfast, this is it.
On the flip side, there’s a completely… let’s just say, different diner experience at the Top Deck in the Club Cal-Neva casino. It’s the closest thing I’ve found to a Waffle House on this coast- not food-wise, but vibe-wise. Very straightforward and ridiculously cheap- they have steak and lobster for $10.99, and that, my friends, is a deal that can’t be beat. I’m a big fan of semi-sketchy, dive-y joints, and the Top Deck is that to a T.
If you prefer to cook at home, you’ll need to find a good place to get your stuff. Were I not currently on the Carnivore diet, I would tell you something about a farmer’s market. However, because I’ve been only eating meat for the better part of a month, we’ll be talking about the value of a good butcher. In this case, we have Butcher Boy Meat Market, a superb shop owned by a family that has been serving the area in some form or another for the past 80 years. With a good butcher, you can rest assured knowing your food is raised clean and treated humanely, and that’s certainly the case with Butcher Boy.
By now you should be well fed and ready to continue the adventure. Our next stop is going to be finding some interesting local stores. Generally, this part is made easier by driving around town aimlessly until you either get lost or stumble on something cool. Thrift shops and flea markets are always among the more interesting places you’ll find. This is another instance where the rule of disorganization comes into play- the more cluttered it is, the greater the chance of you finding something awesome. Junkee’s in midtown Reno is the perfect example of this controlled chaos- they have a costume shop on one side and an antique shop on the other.
Now, if you’ve been tracking so far, you should be a regular at a cafe, barber shop, and the butcher, have a preferred bookstore, know some good places to eat, and have discovered some quirky stores in town. If you’ve managed to do all of this, you may have already figured out the real secret, but if not, here it is:
Your town is cooler than you think when you’re actually engaged in the community.
Nowadays, almost everywhere we go we’re interacting with franchises and chains, and I feel that we lose something for that. If you haven’t traveled much, you may not see it, but the country is slowly becoming a homogenous mess of Walmarts, Applebees’ (say that five times fast), and strip malls. I don’t know about you, but I, for one, do not like it.
It’d be easy to sit here and blame these big chains, but that’s a cop out. The only reason it’s gotten this way is because we’ve allowed it to- we’d rather go to a Hobby Lobby than a local craft store. As a result, we’re getting further and further removed from the communities we inhabit. If you don’t believe me, look at how few people actually know their neighbors, volunteer in their community, or have ever been to a city council meeting. Isn’t it crazy to imagine being involved enough that you’d want to do these things?
Maybe it’s just me, but I feel that there’s a deep longing nowadays to find some sense of community. I don’t know when, and I don’t know where, but it’s clear we lost it along the way. However, what is lost may yet be found, should we be willing to look for it.
Go find your community- get to know your town.
Life Like Jazz: The Power of Improvising
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a spectacular performance by local jazz outfit The Bayberry Cast the other weekend at the Reno Little Theater this weekend. During the show, I was struck with an interesting realization that I am convinced was not solely caused by the wine. Maybe a bit, but I digress. What could this realization be, you might ask? Life, in many ways, is approximated well by jazz, and what better medium than jazz to discuss the importance of developing the power of improvising?
For those among you who are not intimately acquainted with the medium, jazz is a fairly broad musical genre that emerged out of the New Orleans music scene towards the end of the 19th century. I am neither willing nor qualified to get into the history of the genre, so you’ll have to do your own research in that regard. For our purposes, what you’ll need to know is a little bit about the structure of the music.
The most significant aspect that separates jazz music from other forms is the focus on improvisation. For example, during the show, the Cast played an original piece called “Too Much Rain.” In jazz, a song begins with the melody, in this case, an intro that establishes the underlying chord progression and the vocals, sung by the wonderful Darcy Kathleen. Because the piano (played by Tristan Selzler) and the guitar (played by Lucas Aziru, who is responsible for the band’s song arrangements) are capable of playing chords, they play a central role by creating the foundation that solos build on. Unlike in other genres, the bass (played by Mike Mayhall) is responsible for keeping the steady rhythm (called a walking bassline), rather than the drums. This frees the drummer (Greg Lewis) up to focus more on modulating the intensity of the song.
As the intro concludes and the tone has been set, the band members take turns playing improvised solos over the framework that the chords provide. This often begins with a member of the horns section, with either the trumpet (played by Jef Derderian) or the saxophone (played by Doug Coomler) grabbing the reins and beginning to improvise. The solos often begin softly and increase in fervor, peaking towards the end, then gently returning to baseline (pun intended) to allow the next soloist to step in.
Improvisation is where jazz really shines, and it’s exactly this subject that I wanted to touch on today. It seems that more and more people are becoming increasingly ordered in their lives. Parents schedule their children with tons of extracurricular activities to get into prestigious schools. Once they get there, they just c
ontinue the same, joining clubs and other organizations, never leaving a moment to chance. Eventually, everything becomes weekly brunches, Tuesday bingo night, and date night once a month. I don’t know about you, but frankly, that sounds awful.
The path I have taken in life seems to have always hinged on my ability to improvise. Because of the dearth of fun nightlife options provided by Jacksonville, North Carolina, my friends and I had to invent ways to have a good time. We ended up playing a game that went something along the lines of, “convince a group of strangers of the most absurd possible story you can make up.” The best one we ever succeeded in selling was the far-fetched tale of how my buddy went over Niagara Falls in a barrel (padded, of course). Improvisation was also a helpful tool when I worked at a mall kiosk selling $300 hair straighteners to people who did not know they wanted $300 hair straighteners. Good times.
However, inebriated adventures and questionable career choices aside, I promise you that there is a method to the madness. Remember that person who has their whole life planned out, brunches and all? Well, bad news, friend- they just got laid off. See, the problem with planning is that there are always going to be things you can’t plan for. Jobs disappear, relationships end, things fall apart. C’est la vie, oui?
MasterSelf Year One Page 20