Mood Monday
News….whether you get your info about the world from television, newspapers, or social media, it seems to be full of depressing human conditions like hatred, violence, discrimination, disasters, and people shaming. As the weather warms and I find myself outside for the majority of my waking hours, I have shied away from the constant flood of news that makes me question the sanity of the world. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t shut myself completely out of important catching up, but I tend to move away from the point/counterpoint of talking heads and banter.
Crazily, I have created a big chunk of time when I choose to tune out the news. I want to take this extra time to actually do something positive in the world. Whether it is giving to the people of Nepal, finding a local non-profit that needs help and providing what I can, making a point to educate/better myself, or just carefully and thoughtfully supporting my family and friends, one of these or all of these are becoming my serious focus right now.
I don’t know what it is about springtime that helps me to rethink and renew my routines. It must be the springing of new life, the longer days, and the warmth of the sunshine on my face that gives me a new perspective and incredible life force energy.
As I prepare for significant moments in my life, (because May is chock full of them), I find myself listening to music which embraces the positive vibe I am feeling. I am preparing for Shaky Knees Festival and am hastily listening and re-listening to many of the bands that are coming to play. I am thrilled with the lineup each day and am struggling with the fact that I am going to be racing from stage to stage and basically torn between all of the fantastic music makers. As I listen, I lean in to the music which reflects the thoughtful changes in my perspective.
I recently listened to this curious band and found them to be beautifully positive and uniquely thoughtful. I am a new fan of Xavier Rudd & The United Nations.
Listen with me and I think you might become a fan too….
Xavier Rudd is from Australia, a multi-instrumentalist, surfer & activist, and Xavier’s ability to connect with people is astounding. I know I definitely connect with his sound and lyrics.
“Typically, he has three didgeridoos placed in front of him on a stand, a guitar on his lap, a stompbox by his habitually bare feet, and an assortment of drums, harmonicas & bells near at hand, or near at foot as the case may be. Many of Rudd’s songs embody themes of social consciousness, such as spirituality, humanity, environmentalism and the rights of Aboriginal people.” (quoted and paraphrased from Wikipedia)
The recent release of the song, “Come People”from his new album Nanna, is no exception. This song should be a chant, we power out of our mouths, when wrongs occur in the world.
Can’t we all come together? Let’s try to stop dividing and separating. Let’s focus on what we all have in common, please? I want to see the world as much as I can through other people’s eyes and stop making rash judgements based on what the media or single-minded people tell me.
Spring births a new earth, so my mind is willing to birth a new view, minus the divisive news.
How ’bout you?
