Music Frees my Soul

I have rediscovered my passion for music. I feel I had abandoned my passion for the past few years, let life get ahead of me, feeling so far behind a true musician every time I picked up my abandoned guitar and filled with frustration every time I played the same 4 chords I favour. But suddenly, someone directed me to a song that turned the switch back on. I also have been watching so many episodes of Glee I can't help but want to burst out lyrics in any situation to express myself. Here I discovered another song that called out to my soul to fly free and reminded me how much I love to sing, and how much better I can feel from just a few chords, a melody, and powerful lyrics. I even wrote a new song, from the depths of my mind, words flowing out before I could even comprehend them. Now I want to improve, to play at open mics and open myself up for criticism, and to gather with musical people and learn.

I feel changes all around me now. I'm not sure if it's just the age I'm at, where everyone is beginning to discover the path meant for them in life, perhaps where everyone is more brave to try new things and do what it seems they have always wantd to do but I know the next few years will be brand new. I say this every year, I say this everytime something happens that I don't expect but I know that for me, I'm taking a big step outside of my circle of comfort and I want to use this opportunity to grow even more and try things I had always put on the back burner for fear of not being accepted. I would consider myself a confident person, but like everyone, I have always been warry about acceptance. A psychologist might tell me that it's because of my childhood, moving at that fragile point of acceptance and fighting against others so insecure they had to choose another kid to share their misery. Perhaps it's just because I am human but now I can feel myself breaking out and the sun is begging to shine behind the clouds.

With these changes how can I not be inspired to write and sing about the way I feel, try my best to empower others through music and join in the experiences of others by listening. Whether I am playing, listening, singing, or dancing I feel a sense of electricity surging through me. It's as if I am a puppet being drawn from one way to the next and then suddenly set free to choose my own direction. It's invigorating, a relief, an adrenaline rush from the unknown and sense of power to choose my own direction, who knows where I will go next, what great things I can accomplish with this freedom. I know there will be a transition period. A period of longing for familiarity and feeling separated from those I was close to but I know that I will always keep the friends that matter the most, and that I will come out in the end - whenever that may be - and say "wow, that made me a better person".

So as I am challenged to continue this burning flame of freedom through music I challenge eveyone else to take a small step outside of their comfort zone, a large step into the thing they love the most, and abandon all expectations to be the person you want to be. Don't stay with something because you feel it is your responsibility if it doesn't lead you somewhere you will be happy with. Pick up that interesting hobby you have always wanted to try or that you did while growing up but abandoned as you got caught up in the tedious tasks that life demands of us. Find out what makes you feel free and go with it. Remember why you are doing the things you are doing and find out what intrigued you in the beginning. It will be a challenge for all of us, especially me, but with my soul flying above me I am encouraged to continue the spark that I yearned for to burn for so long.