How to Listen to Music

Here’s a recommendation on how to listen to music. Just before twilight, open all the windows of your room. Put on your favourite music and curl up in a comfortable chair. Slowly, purple rays will float in. The music will seep into your bones along with the darkness. Finally, when the darkness is all there is, savour the silence. When you’re ready, put the lights back on and ease yourself softly back into reality.

That’s how my dad and I listened to music when I was a kid. Out of all my memories of him, this will remain my favourite.

Laugh Like You're Mad

I find that singing along to my favourite music at the top of my voice every morning is a great way to start the day. That it is a good idea to put down a funny book every now and then during its reading and laugh out loud for five minutes. Ditto with a movie. To grin widely while experiencing anything wonderful. Not hold anything back.

In the words of Jewel (one of my favourite musicians), “We’re going to be alright as long as we laugh, laugh like we’re mad, because this crazy mixed up beauty’s all that we have.”

A Passionate Life

Most people (maybe even me) don’t have enough passion—the ability to be so deeply moved by something that it scars your very being. To feel, for that instant, that life is perfect. To be so overwhelmed that you think you’ll burst. To say that I can take anything because I have this.

Passion requires an open mind that will allow new thoughts and experiences without chaining them down by prejudices and beliefs. So I try. I can’t see how much I fail, but I do know how much I succeed. And each time I succeed, the reward is bountiful.